THE EARTH IS A LIVING THING
Lucille Clifton 

Summers were once slow at Colony. With clients out of town between the hazy months of June and August, Jean and I would pass each day in the gallery dreaming up grand plans for the future. We’d sprawl out on floor cushions with a notebook and pen close by. Fast forward half a decade, and it’s a different scene. We don’t have much time for lounging, not even in the dog days of summer. 

Out of the many dreams scrawled across these pages, I distinctly remember circling one of Jean’s in black pen:

Write a book.

Today, I have the honor and unique pleasure of announcing that What We Keep, written and styled by Jean Lin with photography by Brooke Holm, is now available for preorder.

Published by Abrams and officially in stores on May 14, the book celebrates the revealing nature of the objects we choose to surround ourselves with. The interviews, features and studio visits within these pages convey Jean’s belief that the industry we work in is built on a holistic ecosystem of respect that exists between the artist/maker, designer and collector. What We Keep encourages readers to consider objects in their own lives through a new lens, unraveling each collector’s unique narrative and the beautiful objects that embody it. 

Over the months (and months) it took Jean to bring this book together, I listened to her interview various subjects— from close friends like Colony designers to idols like Mira Nakashima. She was determined that each and every one felt seen through her writing about their collection or practice. Yes, What We Keep is visually stunning, but I urge you to read its pages because hearing others’ truths only helps us find our own. 

As someone who has moved apartments ten times across twelve years, the titular phrase “What We Keep” feels particularly significant. My first Christmas at Colony, Jean gifted me a pink half-moon chair by Vonnegut/Kraft because she apparently grew tired of me fawning over it. I’ve since moved that chair across Brooklyn over and over, deeming it my nightstand, bookshelf, or desk chair in turns. Through our friendship, she has helped me identify my own reasons for finding substantive beauty in the objects I surround myself with. I’m so proud that through the words and images in What We Keep Jean will inspire you to identify yours as well.

In gratitude,
Madeleine Parsons