Obvious State is a independent press and multidisciplinary creative studio founded in 2011 by husband and wife team Nichole and Evan Robertson.
We make books and literary art for discerning readers, critical thinkers, and armchair philosophers. Our work is available here in our shop and in over 120 bookstores and boutiques across the globe.
All of our prints, books and goods are made in the USA on premium, sustainable materials.
EVAN is an award-winning illustrator and designer with over fifteen years of experience. He has worked with publishers (Penguin Random House, Doubleday, Gibbs Smith, Andrews McMeel, Juniper), bookstores (Barnes & Noble, Chapters Indigo, The Strand, Blackwell’s, Waterstones, Powell’s, Shakespeare & Co.), museums (The Metropolitan, Getty, Museum of Contemporary Art, Gardner, Michener, American Writers Museum), and libraries (NYPL, LA Public Library, The Library of Congress).
NICHOLE has over 20 years experience as Writer and Creative Director. Prior to cofounding Obvious State, she worked with advertising agencies, brands and magazines including Amala Beauty, Tribal DDB, MRY, Aveeno, Reebok, Kiehls, Estee Lauder, Prescriptives, Bumble and Bumble, Esprit, Real Simple and more. Nichole is also the author of five books: Paris in Color, Paris in Love, The Paris Journal, New York in Color, and Literary Paris.
From a postcard set for Penguin Random House to custom book jackets for Juniper Books, check out some of our projects with publishing clients.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Penguin Random House
Chronicle Books
Amala Beauty
Doubleday
Andrews McMeel
Language Department
Disney's Frozen on Broadway
University of Manchester
Genius (The Movie)
True West London
Juniper Books
Gibbs Smith
Bear Ceuse
Want to work together?
Have a cool project in mind?
Have a question about a print shop order?
Want to extol the virtues of enlightenment era philosophy?
We'd love to hear from you.
If you are a retailer and want to inquire about carrying our products, please visit our wholesale page.
We do our best to consider the environmental impact of our goods and supply chain. Therefore, we only work with partners who share our concern for the environment, and use sustainable methods and materials. All of our goods are made in the USA.
ART PRINTS
All of our art prints are made with Mohawk Superfine paper which is sustainably milled in New York. Mohawk sources pulp from sustainable forests, uses recycled fiber, conserves water, and harnesses wind power for their energy. The result is a lush, elegant, fine art paper that’s unmatched.
NOTEBOOKS
Our pocket notebooks are printed in Portland, Oregon using vegetable-based inks and 100% recycled paper (a portion of which is from recycled books). Our partner plants a tree for every order in partnership with The National Forest Foundation.
BOOKS & PAPER GOODS
All of our books, paper goods and collateral cards are printed in Van Nuys, CA on uncoated, FSC certified, sustainable paper made with 10% recycled content. Our print partner uses soy and vegetable-based inks.
