During Stockholm Design Week 2022, designer India Mahdavi staged a takeover of Svenskt Tenn’s Stockholm gallery space. Located on the ground floor of the Strandvägen 5 store, the exhibition is titled ‘Frankly Yours’ and sees the Parisian designer experimenting with the legacy of the brand, using iconic prints and objects, as well as new pewter pieces designed for the occasion.
‘Marble’ vases, SEK16,000 (€1,499) each, by India Mahdavi
The starting point for the space is Frank’s ‘Vegetable Tree’ print, a multicoloured composition of fruits and flowers on white textile cladding the room’s walls in their entirety. ‘The “Vegetable Tree” print brings us back to the root of life: nature in its purest form,’ comments Mahdavi.
‘I love the fact that vegetables grow on a tree here: it gives this fabric a poetic dimension. In the exhibition, I have put the “Vegetable Tree” all over the walls and the furniture. This allows us to perceive it in a different way and to highlight its beauty.’
‘Cap Martin’ sofa, SEK135,000 (€12,649); ’Round Bonbon’ cushions, SEK2,500 (€234) each, all by India Mahdavi
Upon entering the room, visitors are immersed in a world of colour: as well as adorning the walls, the bold hues of the Josef Frank prints grace furniture and lighting pieces. Mahdavi injected the interior with still more energising colour, from the velvety purple carpet to the expressive pillows on the sofas.
‘Colours are the consequence of my memory, of my heritage: my Iranian and Egyptian origins, growing up in the United States in the 1960s and living in the south of France,’ says Mahdavi. ‘It is a language that I have come to use fluently. As I see it, colours have conversations. They argue and reconcile.’
Josef Frank’s ‘530’ stools, SEK13,000 (€1,218) each
For the exhibition, she has also designed a floor lamp based on Josef Frank’s ‘2326’ model, and new pieces in pewter (a material that is at the heart of Svenskt Tenn’s legacy).
The pewter trays, Mahdavi explains, are a tribute to Svenskt Tenn’s founder, Estrid Ericson. ‘At the age of 30, back in 1924, she was already such an example for women: a strong and independent entrepreneur,’ says Mahdavi. ‘The whole project honours the history, the origins and the work made by Svenskt Tenn, Estrid Ericson and Josef Frank.’
Josef Frank’s ‘P4’ armchair in India Mahdavi’s orange hue, SEK12,000 (€1,124), excluding ‘Vegetable Tree’ cushions; ‘Serpent’ cushion, SEK2,600 (€244), by India Mahdavi
‘Jelly Pea’ sofa, SEK210,000 (€19,676); ’Round Bonbon’ cushions, SEK2,500 (€234) each, all by India Mahdavi
Josef Frank’s ‘P5’ chair in India Mahdavi’s orange, SEK8,800 (€825)
‘Peanut’ plate, SEK19,000 (€1,780), by India Mahdavi. ‘Vegetable Tree’ tray, SEK660 (€62), by Josef Frank/Svenskt Tenn
INFORMATION
‘Frankly Yours’ is at Svenkst Tenn, Strandvägen 5, Stockholm, until 23 October 2022. All pieces available from Svenskt Tenn
-
Put these emerging artists on your radarThis crop of six new talents is poised to shake up the art world. Get to know them now
-
Dining at Pyrá feels like a Mediterranean kiss on both cheeksDesigned by House of Dré, this Lonsdale Road addition dishes up an enticing fusion of Greek and Spanish cooking
-
Creased, crumpled: S/S 2025 menswear is about clothes that have ‘lived a life’The S/S 2025 menswear collections see designers embrace the creased and the crumpled, conjuring a mood of laidback languor that ran through the season – captured here by photographer Steve Harnacke and stylist Nicola Neri for Wallpaper*
-
Inside the Shakti Design Residency, taking Indian craftsmanship to Alcova 2025The new initiative pairs emerging talents with some of India’s most prestigious ateliers, resulting in intricately crafted designs, as seen at Alcova 2025 in Milan
-
'Now, the world is waking up': Vikram Goyal on bringing Indian craftsmanship to the global stageWe talk to Indian craft entrepreneur Vikram Goyal about redefining heritage, innovating with repoussé, and putting Indian craftsmanship on the global map.
-
‘The Indian market has come of age’: Inside Nilaya Anthology, India’s new design destinationNilaya Anthology – a global design showroom with a distinctly Indian perspective – has opened in Mumbai
-
This ethereal Chennai home is a celebration of Indian craft and cultureDesigned by Multitude of Sins, this Chennai home is an artisanal trove of rich texture and secret garden-like design. Wallpaper* speaks with design principal Smita Thomas on crafting the space
-
Indian furniture brand SĀR Studio is putting Pune on the map with a new flagship and residency programmeSĀR Residence, a multi-use concept space, acts as an extension of the Indian furniture brand
-
Pierre Jeanneret and Edward Armitage: tracing design inspiration in ChandigarhBritish designer Joe Armitage set off for Chandigarh, India, to trace his grandfather Edward’s footsteps and recreate a photograph of the latter’s ‘Armitage’ lamp. A trail of intrigue around its inspiration lay in wait, as he reveals
-
Claesson Koivisto Rune on 30 years of their often Japan-inspired designs, charted in a new book‘Claesson Koivisto Rune: In Transit’ is a ‘round-the-world journey’ into the Swedish studio's projects. Here, the founders tell Wallpaper* about their fascination with Japan, and the concept of aimai
-
It’s the first-ever Design Mumbai: here’s what to seeAt least 100 international and Indian brands will showcase at Design Mumbai, referencing India’s rich and storied heritage of craftsmanship and highly specialised craft clusters (6-9 November 2024)
