Iceland

Stella Design

Image | | Verónica

While I perused the rest of the Icelandic Contemporary Design exhibit, I couldn’t help but smile at these fun and whimsical drinking glasses. All the people pictured on them seemed so cheery. I particularly liked the one of the grandmother (I presume) knitting with a big ball of red yarn at her feet. I did a little research and discovered that the glasses were designed by the studio of Stella Design. Stella Design is a young studio established in 2005 by Dagný Kristjansdottir, a multimedia designer, and Ingibjörg Hanna Bjarnadottir, a graphic designer. The glasses are part of a collection they call “My Family” which was “created to brighten up the mundane domestic life.” In my opinion, they succeeded! To learn more about Stella Design and see more adorable pictures of the “My Family” collection, go here.

.

Visual Inner Structure

| Verónica

During our time in Helsinki, we practically ran into this exhibit featuring designers from Iceland. The Icelandic Contemporary Design exhibit showcases modern Icelandic designers in the categories of furniture, product design and architecture. What caught my eye was this chair – it was covered in thick white yarn! The chair is called “Visual Inner Structure – Second Life of a Chair” and it is the work of Icelandic designer Gudrún Lilja Gunnlaugsdóttir. According to the exhibit, the designer was inspired to create the chair from her experience working with refugees. The chair represents the life of a refugee who is stripped of everything – her past, family, belongings – to start a new life in a new land. The designer then uses yarn to weave a new life for the chair. Here are various views of the piece.

Visual Inner Structure - front view.
Visual Inner Structure - side view.
Visual Inner Structure - back view.
Visual Inner Structure - back view.
Visual Inner Structure - close up of seat springs.
Visual Inner Structure - close up of chair leg and ball of yarn.
Visual Inner Structure - angled front view.

The designer studied at the Design Academy Eindhoven and formed a company called Studiobility, which strives to bring together art and product design. Read this press release about the Icelandic Contemporary Design exhibit in Helsinki. The press release lists all of the designers in the exhibit with links to each of their biographies or websites.