Cyklus. Wooden Pillbox by Anker Bak

Anker says about CYKLUS “During the pandemic, I took quite a few extra vitamins to boost my immune system. I needed an easy and visible way to keep track of the pills but was disappointed by many of the pillboxes I found. They were either made from boring plastic or poor woodwork.

So I made CYKLUS, which I could enjoy having in my kitchen or in the bathroom- places where I would always be reminded to take my pills.

I thought CYKLUS was a beautiful name since as humans, we tend to forget we are a part of nature and the seasons. Not much different from the wood I work with. In this way, it has also become a daily reminder that I am part of something much bigger.”

Anker Bak exhibition

Anker Bak's solo exhibition "En ny værdighed/Renewed Dignity" in Copenhagen. 29.09-23.10.2022

“In life, death is the only thing we can be sure of, but we rarely talk about it. It has become a taboo we avoid because the system takes care of most things surrounding death.

But I need to embrace sorrow and pain because they teach me something about myself. I believe these are basic human feelings that will only come back to haunt us if we don’t stay with them.

When making RO, I had to handle that my grandmother Maren Brigitte was dying. I was up close and personal with her death and my sorrow almost every day, and I felt a great responsibility to honour both my grandparents with this last goodbye.

It became a big part of my grieving process because I had to confront these feelings by working on the coffin and staying there. At the funeral, I had a capacity for more than grief and felt deeply grateful for my time with her. It was not a one-sided emotion but a sensation of life and death melting together.” Words: Danish furniture designer and cabinetmaker Anker Bak. See his solo exhibition "En ny værdighed / Renewed Dignity" at Officinet, Bredgade 66, 1260 Copenhagen. 29.09-23.10.2022