Karel Martens is a giant in contemporary graphic design. For over sixty years, he has experimented fearlessly with type, color, material, and chance, shaping generations of designers and leaving a profound mark on visual culture. His work is currently being celebrated in a major retrospective at the Stedelijk Museum (Karel Martens – Unbound, 11 July–26 October 2025), and now you can bring a piece of his playful, visionary spirit into your own space with his 2026 calendar, alongside zines and cards—soon available in our shop.

Who is Karel Martens?
Martens (b. 1939) belongs to the “Big Three” of Dutch design, alongside Wim Crouwel and Jan van Toorn. While Crouwel perfected the grid and van Toorn brought politics and subjectivity to the page, Martens is the experimenter—the one who embraces the unexpected, sees “mistakes” as openings, and mixes analog and digital techniques with a joyful, almost childlike curiosity.

From postage stamps to typographic experiments, from architectural journals like OASE to road-surface designs in Amsterdam, his work has always pushed beyond what graphic design is “supposed” to be. He is also co-founder of the influential Werkplaats Typografie, shaping how design is taught and made worldwide.

About the Calendar
Martens’s calendars are an extension of this practice. Each month is a study in color, form, and layering—where algorithmic sequences meet handmade marks, where abstraction collides with rhythm. The 2026 edition continues this tradition, turning the everyday act of checking a date into a small encounter with art.

These aren’t calendars that just hang—they vibrate with energy, asking you to look again, notice details, and feel the pulse of design history right in your home or studio.

For Those Missing Five Metal Shop
We know many of you loved the Five Metal Shop risograph calendar—a favorite and best-seller that sadly is no longer in production. While Martens’s work is different in approach and history, his 2026 calendar carries the same joy in color, rhythm, and materiality that made Five Metal Shop so beloved. If you’re searching for something that captures that spirit—while also connecting you to one of the most influential designers of our time—this is it.

Conclusion
Karel Martens is an icon. His calendar, zines, and cards are chances to live with a slice of design history, reimagined for today. They will be available in our shop very soon—don’t miss the opportunity to make 2026 more vibrant, experimental, and inspiring.