EKTA Svenskt Tenn unites classic design with modern art forms in colourful interiors with furniture by Josef Frank.
EKTA is Daniel Götesson’s tag – it’s been his artist signature in the graffiti world since the mid-1990s. In this autumn’s exhibition on Strandvägen 5, EKTA’s pure and abstract design comes together with Svenskt Tenn’s timeless interior design philosophy in a contemporary tribute to Josef Frank’s upholstered furniture. A magnificent work by the artist EKTA has been created exclusively for the exhibition using Svenskt Tenn’s own Vägen upholstery fabric.
A playful investigation and exploration of materials. Ideas that are born through continuous work and flow. Through risk-taking and mistakes. This is how EKTA has created the Vägen artwork – a restless collage using Svenskt Tenn’s classic upholstery fabric.
Daniel Götesson (born 1978), known as EKTA, is a Swedish artist who lives and works in Gothenburg. In his multifaceted art, EKTA creates works ranging from drawings, paintings and collages to sculptures, textiles and murals to animation, performance art and installations. His work is characterised by a willingness to take bold risks and explore new materials and imagery.
The upholstery linen that is launched in connection to this year’s autumn exhibition is a more durable variant of Svenskt Tenn’s own linen, produced in colours such as blue, amber, green, and dark brown. The pigment dyeing process creates a unique, slightly irregular, colour effect, emphasising the natural aspects of linen fabric.
Our own linen fabrics are manufactured by Libeco in Belgium, a long-established company founded in Kortrijk in 1858. At the weaving mill, modern technology is combined with generations of experience and professional skill.
In addition to Svenskt Tenn’s new linen, several upholstery fabrics from Sahco are shown in the exhibition, including on Josef Frank’s armchair 789 and the iconic Liljevalchs sofa.
Josef Frank's Bamboo table lamp is another new arrival this autumn. Josef Frank received inspiration from Asia when he decorated the Museum of East Asian Art in Cologne in 1912. This inspiration then followed him throughout his active years as a designer, both when it came to form and materials. He probably designed the Bambu table lamp for Svenskt Tenn during the 1940s and 50s - a period when he created several objects with Asian influences.
Coffee table 1053 was designed by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn in 1940 and was relaunched in 2014 in connection with the exhibition “A tribute to the furniture designer Josef Frank”. Now, the table is presented with a new travertine tabletop.
