Evidence of the maker’s hand is present in everything Arounna Khounnoraj creates. The organic shapes and soothing, saturated colours of her work—prints, bags, tools, books and more—embody a sense of serenity that recalls the dappled sunlight of a quiet summer afternoon, when, just for a moment, life seems simpler.
Arounna studied sculpture in art school; her husband, John Booth, studied painting. But making a living in the art world isn’t easy, so in the early 2000s, they decided to create Bookhou, a business and retail platform that would allow them to combine their evolving art practice with handmade goods. It wasn’t long before Bookhou (both a portmanteau of their last names and a playful nod to the French word beaucoup) evolved into a showcase for their multidisciplinary talents. Today, in a world fixated on mass production, Bookhou takes a slower, more deliberate approach to making.
“”We wanted to create a business that focused on the handmade—things that aren’t mass produced, things that were designed differently, uniquely, so that you really sense the maker in the pieces.
(This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity)
All images courtesy Arounna Khounnoraj
