Eric Ericson

Author, designer, publisher, artist, and satirist.

Eric Ericson does not allow himself to be pigeonholed. He is as much an author as a designer, publisher, artist, and satirist. But he could also be presented as a fan of Svenskt Tenn’s founder Estrid Ericson. Eric Ericson has among other things, produced an exhibition about Svenskt Tenn’s founder in her hometown of Hjo and published a book about her.

— Estrid Ericson was an incredible artistic leader. As early as in the 1920s, she successfully engaged some of the best designers of the time such as Nils Fougstedt, Anna Petrus and Uno Åhrén. But at the same time, she was open to abandoning functionalism when she met Josef Frank. I am extremely fascinated by Estrid Ericson and everything she accomplished.

Swedish design of the 1920s and 30s is a recurring source of inspiration for Eric Ericson; this is reflected not least in the products he has designed for Svenskt Tenn. Take, for example, the theatrical faces engraved on the back of the hand mirrors in the “Självbild” (Self-image) collection, crafted in pewter and leather. Or his pewter pots, which the designer himself says are greatly influenced by the style epoch which he calls Sweden’s most distinct: both in terms of their shape; being square at the base and curving outwards at the top, as well their theatrical face motifs.

Eric Ericsson’s breakthrough as an author came in 2003 with the book “Brev till samhället” (Letters to society), in which he writes zany letters to companies and organisations and receives equally zany replies. He has a never ending fascination with social planning and development, which also finds expression in, for example, the parlour game “Välkommen till samhället” (Welcome to society), which is a collaboration with the artist Lars Arrhenius.