Five Young Women Designers Showcase the Future of Nordic Design

Stine Linnemann
Copenhagen

Stine Linnemann continues to blur the lines of art and design and begs the question: if these are even separate worlds in the first place. Weaving and textiles are a time-honoured tradition across cultures and have consistently occupied a space outside the definition of “fine art”, while requiring an incredible level of technical skill and creativity. These forms of art have often been looked-over or under appreciated. Linnemann’s work challenges this conception and engages with the versatile nature of textiles, collaborating across the spaces of fashion, interior design, product design and installations. Strong principles of sustainability are undertaken in all areas of her production, and this story-line is clearly represented in her recent works. Having focused on the drawbacks of globalised consumerism and over-consumption, her series Rewoven, deconstructs the modern-staple of denim reborn through an ancient leno-weaving technique.
Danish design is a stable and well established member of the contemporary design world, in such a competitive scene Linneman has managed to establish a position as a voice for the future. Her thought-provoking works spur a conversation on the role and responsibility of design in an increasingly globalised market. Linneman has collaborated with the ranks of Alexander McQueen, Louis Vuitton and Givenchy as well as being nominated for the prestigious Danish Design Award.
http://adorno.design/gallery/re-woven-tapestry/
http://adorno.design/gallery/re-woven-beam-ii/
http://adorno.design/gallery/re-woven-roll-i/

Hanna Anonen
Helsinki

Upon first glance, the works of Finish Product and Industrial Designer, Hanna Anonen, reflect a simplified, understated, pacific approach to design and space, however the understanding and comprehension of colour, form and light is anything but simple. Anonen takes her inspiration from a careful observation of the mundane and everyday life, methodically recording the accidental colour combinations that exist all around us. To the untrained eye these inspirations may go unnoticed, but Anonnen is able to encapsulate these fleeting moments into practical, yet unexpected objects. Hand-painted wooden dowels are playfully arranged into circular wooden tables, and light fixtures including a set inspired by the layering of colours in the mixed, fizzy concussions of cocktails.
In a culture revolving around the ideals of pragmatism, the Helsinki design scene has placed key importance on function. This attention to practicality may in some minds mean a loss of poetic revelry, this is simply not the case in the work Anonen. Her melodious control of colour and form makes her a dynamic player in the design world. Anonen holds a degree in carpentry, industrial design from Lahti Institute of Design and applied art and design from Aalto University, her work has been featured in Vogue, Wallpaper and Architectural Digest.
http://adorno.design/gallery/merry-go-round-side-table/
http://adorno.design/gallery/cocktail-ceiling-light/

Runa Klock
Oslo

Nordic collaborative nature is at a central core of Rune Klock’s design practice, this openness to synergy and new ideas from artists and designers across disciplines has resulted in a diverse range of works unbound by a hierarchy of medium. Klock has worked together with chefs, entrepreneurs, installation artists, and product designers resulting in a critical mind open to innovation. Recently, Klock has collaborated with an American designer, Syrette Lew from Moving Mountains, working with glass, a material that neither of the two were initially familiar with, to embark on an investigation of this ever-present material. The resulting works bend light and colour and show that Klock’s characteristic openness has amounted in a fearlessness to process and material.
The Oslo design scene truly exemplifies the collaborative standard that exists in Nordic design, and the Norwegian cultural ideal of everyone working together for the same goal, Runa Klock is at the forefront of this thinking. Runa is a board member in Klubben and is a member of the jury of the Award for Design Excellence in Norway.
http://adorno.design/gallery/blend-vase-redblue/
http://adorno.design/gallery/blend-vase-yellow/

Ragna Ragnarsdottir
Reykjavik

Ragna Ragnarsdottir’s work reflects a deep understanding and respect for the process of traditional craft while incorporating the awe-inspiring natural beauty of her country without taking it literally. Through an intensive process of her own invention, Ragnarsdottir is able to translate this ancient landscape into tables, vessels and screens by merging traditional and contemporary mediums. Ragnarsdottir’s experimental approach to craft led her to explore the intersection of design and making, extending the two-dimensional drawing process into three-dimensional creations. Using materials that are easily accessible to designers such as latex, water-based resin and wood, she pushes the materials to their limits without using high-tech machines. In a country with such a wealth of natural and inspiring materials, the choice to work with such contemporary materials pushes the boundaries of tradition.
Ragnarsdottir is a rising star in Reykjavik’s fairly new design scene. As seen through her work, this fledgling design scene allows for an extremely high level of experimentation, ingenuity, and innovation from its designers. Having just only graduated from Ensci Les Atelier in Paris in 2016, she has been rapidly gaining attention, on top of numerous group and solo exhibitions, Ragnarsdottir was named the 2018 Winner of Formex Nova The Nordic Designer of the year, in Stockholm, Sweden.
http://adorno.design/gallery/ground-vase/
http://adorno.design/gallery/coral-vase/
http://adorno.design/gallery/husk-bench/
http://adorno.design/gallery/barrier-screen-2/

Lotta Lampa
Stockholm

Eccentric yet tame, Lotta Lampa has cultivated an aesthetic addressing a wide range of cultural influences that reflect her personal story and background. With influences ranging from postmodernism to the Swedish subculture of “raggarkultur” inspired by American vintage cars of the 1950’s and 60’s Lampa comes as a challenge to the commonly defined “blonde minimalism” of Swedish Design. Her creations are conceived from large, quick sketches and exaggerated gestures, then come to life in the industrial setting of her father and brother’s garage. Each piece is unique and recognizably Lampa’s with a witty humour and a magnetic presence. Her practice exemplifies Swedish values while at the same time challenging them, created with a strong connection to cooperation and community they are by no means docile.
Although based in Kalix, a small town in the north of Sweden, Lampa’s work is well represented in the country’s capital and cultural hub of Stockholm. She is educated at Beckmans Design College in Stockholm and at the International Design Academy, Luxury Living Group in Forli, Italy. Lampa has been featured at Salone de Mobile in Milan on several occasions, as well as at the London Design Fair, Chart Art Fair, Design Copenhagen and Stockholm Design Week.
http://adorno.design/gallery/raket-candleholder/
http://adorno.design/gallery/thunder-tt-pendant/
http://adorno.design/gallery/tjabo-thunder-light-floor-lamp/
http://adorno.design/gallery/flower-bomb-table-lamp/