17 Swedish Designers

While attending the Las Vegas Market at the World Market Center, I was fortunate enough to be able to take in the exhibit. Though small in size, it was packed-full of the best of the best of Sweden's creative thinkers and presented viewers with the essence of Scandinavian design.

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Graphic designer and illustrator Lotta Kühlhorn is a Dwell favorite. Though much of her talent goes toward creating book covers, her work also graces bolts of playful fabric for Ikea and products such as these Pear mugs for Koloni Stockholm. The yellow planter is designer Nina Jobs's Pandora pot for Nola.

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Pia Törnell created the Arcus candlestick and Cirrus vase for Studio K (also called Studio Kinnekulle), which she owns and operates with fellow designer Hans-Jörgen Lindquist.

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Formed in 2003, Front is a Swedish powerhouse design group comprising Sofia Lagerkvist, Charlotte von der Lancken, Anna Lindgren, and Katja Pettersson. Shown here is their Bin trash can for Materia.

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Pia Amsell and Barbro Wesslander work together in Stockholm and have collaborated with Ikea for years, producing items such as these pillows. Their most recent work available in the United States is their Blomster candlesticks and Persika vase.

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One of the highlights of the exhibition was seeing the designs of the 17 women featured all together in one place. In this vignette are Monica Förster's Spoon chair for Offecct as well as Front's PS Svarva floor lamp for Ikea and Camouflage pendant light for Zero.

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In this tableau, Slanting Cone vases by Anna Lerinder atop Förster's Breeze table for Swedese.

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On the softer side of things were Ulrika Mårtensson and Margot Barolo's textile designs for Knits by the Metre, which the duo founded in 2006. Shown here are their Wobbling Wool Shawl, Muddburk knitted bowls, and Ever blanket.

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Ready to be overtaken by wild flora was Eva Schildt's The Gardener's Sofa, which she designed in 2001 for Design House Stockholm.

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Also on display from Schildt was her Umbrella Stand for Design House Stockholm featuring a sponge base to soak up the drops.

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This stunning porcelain work was designed and produced by Anna Kraitz. In the foreground is her Early bird vase with braid, in the background, her Early bird vase with belt.

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The lovely Anna von Schewen was represented in the exhibition and also made a stop by Las Vegas Market to speak about her work, the show, and the influence of Swedish design as a whole (stay tuned for highlights from her lecture). Her Hug armchair for Gärsnäs, shown here in the forefront, was inspired by a child sitting in a mother's arms is. Behind it is her Dress chair, also for for Gärsnäs, designed to show that "wrinkles can be really beautiful," she said.

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An excellent show program with information about all 17 designers was available as a take away. You can find more about them and the show at svenskform.se/17swedishdesigners. The show travels next to the Embassy of Sweden's House of Sweden in Washington, DC, and will be on view February 24 through March 27. From there, it will move to the Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle this summer followed by the American Swedish Historical Museum in Philadelphia in the fall.

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