Arts & Crafts, a movement that began in England around the turn of the 20th century, is about the importance of craftsmanship in innovative design, but also about social responsibility and the creation of the good home and quality of life – for both rich and poor. Knowledge of the connection between material, technique, and form, and how various manufacturing problems have been solved throughout history, ties into questions of sustainability and the ability to choose the most suitable method for a given context. In the old objects and craftsmanship, there is much wisdom. I believe in looking back as part of an analysis of the world that leads us forward.
The increasing interest in the authentic, analog, and handcrafted, I believe, is linked to a growing desire to make the hand visible in a digital world. The increasing interest in the symbolic messages of colors and forms, I believe, is connected to the overload of images and impressions we are overwhelmed with, which causes us to pay more attention to the meaning behind colors and forms. The growing interest in folk art, which was one of my areas in the museum world and still fascinates me, I believe, is related to a desire to expand the panorama beyond Western design, which has become the norm, while simultaneously infusing forms and colors with a deeper dimension – as we can see in both older Swedish folk art and the still-living non-European traditions.
