Tag: Scandinavian

Designer Desire: Ulla Procopé

Montage of Ulla Procopé ceramic shapes and patterns for Arabia of Finland | H is for Home

Ulla Procopé (1921-1968) was a Finnish mid-century modern ceramic designer and decorator.

In 1948, Procopé graduated from the School of Arts and Crafts (later known as the Aalto School of Arts) in Helsinki and began working for Arabia immediately after graduating. She began in the factory’s hand-painting department under Olga Osol, after which she moved, two years later, to the model & decoration department.

She designed both the shape and pattern for the Liekki (1957-1978), Valencia (1960-2002), Anemone, Ruska (1960-1999) and Meri series. She designed the shapes of much of the Arabia output including the Pomona series of lidded preserve jars whose decoration was designed by Raija Uosikkinen.

She spent her entire career at Arabia, working there until 1967, the year before her untimely death in Tenerife.

Her Arabia designs are readily available on eBay and Etsy.

Portrait of Ulla Procopécredit

Additional image credits:

1stDibs | Barnebys | Bukowskis | What’s Blogging My View

Designer Desire: Pentti Sarpaneva

Montage of Pentti Sarpaneva glass and metalware designs | H is for Home

This week, I planned to feature the jewellery designs of Pentti Sarpaneva in our Designer Desire slot. However, I’m also really taken by his glass and metal homeware items – so I’m going with those instead.

Pentti Sarpaneva’s designs – like many of his Norwegian compatriots – are very elemental and brutalist. He uses brass, bronze, silver, gold, amber coloured glass, enamel and semi-precious stones such as agate, amethyst, obsidian and spectrolite.

He designed for Turun Hopea Oy and Kalevala Koru and the Kumela glass factory. You can find examples of his jewellery and homewares on eBay and Etsy.

Sarpaneva (1925-78) is the older brother of the more well-known designer, Timo.

Portrait of Pentti Sarpaneva with his mother and brother, TimoPortrait of Pentti Sarpaneva (left) with his mother and brother, Timo (credit)

Additional image credits:

Bukowskis | Designlasi

Designer Desire: Jacob Jensen

Various product designs by Jacob Jensen

Jacob Jensen (1926-2015) was a Danish industrial designer (the first in the country to have graduated in the subject).

He had a long-term relationship designing audio equipment for Bang & Olufsen for over a quarter of a century. Included in his output of almost 250 different designs is the record player Beogram 4000, portable radio Beolit 400, sound systems BeoMaster 500 and BeoMaster 1900 and the company’s first headphones, the U70.

He designed a range of products for other companies; from furniture to watches, telephones to kettles. He even created the popular Margrethe melamine bowls for Rosti (named after Queen Margrethe of Denmark). Our favourites though, are his little wooden figures – Vikings, Eskimos and… aliens! They can retail for hundreds of pounds!

In my view, constructing a fountain pen, writing a poem, producing a play or designing a locomotive, all demand the same components, the same ingredients: perspective, creativity, new ideas, understanding and first and foremost, the ability to rework, almost infinitely, over and over. That ‘over and over’ is for me the cruellest torture.
The only way I can work is to make 30-40 models before I find the right one. The question is, when do you find the right one? My method is, when I have reached a point where I think, ‘O.K., that’s it, there it is’, I put the model on a table in the living room, illuminate it, and otherwise spend the evening as usual, and go to bed. The next morning I go in and look at it, knowing with 100 percent certainty that I have 6-7 seconds to see and decide whether it’s right or wrong. If I look at it longer, I automatically compensate. ‘Oh, it’s not too high,’ and, ‘It’s not so bad.’ There are only those 6-7 seconds; then I make some notes as to what’s wrong. Finished. After breakfast, I make the changes. That’s the only way I know. Jacob Jensen

Portrait of Jacob Jensencredit

Additional image credits:

Artnet | MOMA | Pamona

Designer Desire: Hans-Agne Jakobsson

Montage of Hans-Agne Jakobsson lighting designs | H is for Home

Hans-Agne Jakobsson (1919–2009) was a Swedish designer known predominantly for his lighting designs. He was very prolific in his output, producing designs for his own brand, AB Markaryd, as well as Orrefors, Glashütte Limburg, Svera and Ellysett. The last – also located in the town of Markaryd – used Jakobsson’s designs for a 1970s line of wood veneer pendant lights named SPÅN for IKEA.

For a designer who created over 2,000 separate designs, it’s no surprise that Hans-Agne Jakobsson items are still easy to come by… over a huge range of prices. Check out 1stDibs, eBay, Etsy, Finnish Design Shop and Pamono for examples costing from £50 all the way up to £30,000+.

Portrait of Hans-Agne Jakobsson
credit

Additional image credits:
Pamona