“I find it difficult to defend the notion of designing new stuff from scratch when we are surrounded by products everywhere”

– Martine Myrup

New life for the overlooked

Inspiration can come from many places. In the case of Jonas Edvard or Martine Myrup, it is a matter of activating a particular resource or material, and utilizing it innovate ways to create objects that have resonance both visual and physical.

Always placing a strong emphasis on sustainability, Edvard aims to contribute to the conversation about how we can achieve healthier lifestyles and a cleaner planet. He favors simple, functional objects that give back what they take, producing a circular economy with minimal waste.

Myrup, meanwhile, always allows the history and purpose of materials she reclaims or recycles to play a central role in the objects and sculptures she produces from them. Taking a clear inspiration from ancient Japanese crafts, she takes pleasure from transforming discarded unappreciated items into architectural objects of simply, elegant beauty.

Natural & Upcycled

Limestone is a highly versatile material that is used to produce a wide range of materials, from toothpaste to smoke scrubbers. Calcium, which is the main component of limestone, is a key building block in human and animal bones, and by creating objects in this material, Jonas Edvard hopes to contribute to a domain of commercial production that allows consumers play an active role in living and consuming responsibly and sustainably.

In a similar vein, Martine Myrup seeks always to extend the life-span of each bit of textile she uses, transforming the original material into something new and unique. A 1950s tablecloth, for example, may find new life as part of a plush toy, while a dated blouse may be converted into a decorative urn.

“My work is focused on research into raw and natural materials, the history of their use and the future of their existence”

– Jonas Edvard

“With an alchemist’s approach to the design process, he plays with our perception of materiality, shape and function to create products that appeal to a wider range of sensibilities and place the material into a new context of aesthetic value and functionality.”

– Crafts Collection on the work of Jonas Edvard

“Martine finds inspiration in old-fashioned low-tech methods such as patchwork and the idea of extending the life of a dress or a tablecloth with a hole or a stain, stretching the fabric to make a vessel… Martine Myrup’s background as a sculptor guides her into a three-dimensional domain with an architect’s spatial approach. “

– Crafts Collection on the work of Martine Myrup

The Result

Danish designers’ emphasis on natural materials, and their commitment to simple functionality, result in projects that can be seen both as works of art, and, at the same time, as typical examples of Danish design. These objects and products contain elements beyond the purely aesthetic.