Sweden’s largest art and design school Konstfack is graduating 175 students this year. Graduation shows are spread over four weeks and this time I looked at the bachelors in interior design, textile, jewellry, graphical design and industrial design. So how is generation 2021 doing? Here is my report.
I would say that the overall theme for this year is that these students are asking a lot of questions about roots and heritage. I am not sure if this is because of the pandemic, the activists in questions like Black Lives Matter or #metoo, But a lot of questions abour origin. Who am I really? What is Sweden/Swedish? What is a home?
Previous years you could see stronger movements in issues like sustainability or even the question of taste (as in selfcentered).
Picture above is classical symbols for the most Swedish holiday – Midsummer. By Lovisa Axén at textile department.
A Swedish flag as a carpet by Axén. Are you allowed to step on it??
Roots and origin. Graphic designer Pierre Karlsson made a book with low resolution images of our everyday life. Gas stations, street signs, carpe diem interior objects… Very Lars Thunbjörk or Esko Männikkö.
Nostalgia and communication in graphic design by Emma-Lisa Henriksson.
Everything in general is very handwritten. Here a project about living in Dalarna and taking an active stand against the urban lifestyle. By Hanna Fideli Fritzell.
Ingrid Segring Björklund at interior design made a table. Everything is based on her grandmother and the place she comes from. The house don’t exist anymore but the memories do. The patterns on the legs are everything from street maps to childish drawings from the grandmother. The table top is made of stone from where the grandmother is and with her old tablecloth. Memories and roots.
Interior designer Joakim Hjert looked at the remains from an old factory production of clay bricks. These disguarded bricks have been tumbling in the water of Vänern and he collected these bricks to make some kind of stools. Origin and history.
Textile designer Josefin Selander talks about the suburban and projects area of Hallonbergen and how she like to climb up high to get an overview between the conrete houses to see the greenery. Origin and history.
Craft designer Hanna Hjalmarsson talks about how her baby brother and she are both working with stone and clay. He from an industrial perspective and she from an arts perspective. Same material but he is a blue collar guy and she is an elevated crafts person.
When I write this, I realise that this is all very nostalgic and kind of sad. It’s sort of a missed opportunity. Not about optimistic future dreams. More sad, than happy.
There are of course exceptions. At first I didn’t really fall for textile designer Elisabeth Radhe and her pink project “Princess Butch” but it grows on me. This is all about dressing up, being proud and loving yourself. This absolutely stands out.
Other things that stand out are these amazing fairytale creatures by Hilma Nordén. If there is a single star that stands our (compare to previous Hanna Hansdotter etc), she is the one. Well executed, creative, free and fantastic.
These pinecone creatures by Silje Lingås are also very easy to love. She is a student at Ädellab, the jewellry section.
Textile student Konrad Liden also impressed with his free thinking. These oversized boots are just fun.
Fun and quirky by craft student Miranda Renberg.
What about sustainability? Well, you see less of it this year. Here is a griefing ground designed for nature lost (when people are exploiting for building houses). By interior design student Frida Navratil.
Elsa Unnegård at interior design made these Rick Owens-esque chairs and stools. Will absolutely get a lot of attention. Build by fallen, dead oaks so they are really one of a kind.
Consistent, creative and cool pinewood project from locally sourced wood by Kristoffer Knudsen. This was extremely well made.