THE ARTISTS
Behind every NUZZLE puzzle, there's an artist. And this is just the beginning! Our first collection features Risto Koch, whose bold lines and curious spirit inspired our launch. More Swiss creators will join the puzzle soon, each one bringing a new piece to our story.
RISTO KOCH
(1927-1997)
COLLECTION 1
Evaristo “Risto” Koch was a Swiss painter, inventor, and entrepreneur whose life blended curiosity, craft, and a deep sense of playfulness. Born in St. Gallen, he grew up between Swiss and Italian influences, and carried art and music with him throughout his life.
After years in export and logistics, Risto explored many artistic paths: graphic design, life-drawing, textile work, embroidery. Until he developed his own visual language. In the family’s beloved “Chalet Isa”, he created most of his work: modern, imaginative, full of rhythm and movement.
One of his most distinctive techniques was painting animals and fantastical creatures formed from human hands. Sometimes his own, sometimes the hands of his wife, Irène. He loved turning the familiar into the unexpected: a palm becomes a fox, fingers become wings, a gesture becomes an entire creature. His paintings often feel like little worlds born from touch, imagination, and intimacy.
Risto was also an innovator: he received an international prize for his invention of a coin-operated locking device and was one of Switzerland’s first electric-vehicle enthusiasts.
He passed away in 1997 after a long battle with cancer, leaving behind a timeless body of work filled with tenderness, creativity, and life.
Risto and Irène were my grandparents 💜
From colorful chaos to mindful black and white, each NUZZLE is designed to look good, feel good, and do good.
It all started when I was craving something else than waterfalls and oil paintings
Hi! I’m Nat, the founder of NUZZLE 🙋🏼♀️
During COVID, puzzles became my favourite way to slow down. I loved the ritual and the focus but I kept seeing the same images again and again. Nice, sure… just not quite me.
So I started imagining puzzles differently: as playful, design-led objects you’d actually want to live with. That curiosity became NUZZLE, a puzzle brand inspired by Swiss design and created with local illustrators and artists. Each puzzle is an invitation to slow down and enjoy something that feels good to look at, from the first piece to the last.