It certainly helps being a carpenter working with wood, but
Fredrik Paulsen is not content merely to master the material,
he loves to experiment and challenge the very conceptions
of design. You could almost call his work an anti-design, that
Italian radical design which questioned the very ethos of a
Modernist restrained functional simplicity with unique colourful
and decorative pieces. No wonder he is inspired by masters
like Ettore Sottsass, Gaetano Pesce, and Gae Aulenti.
But if Fredrik is both an artist and a designer at heart, he
wants to express a thorough logic in how his pieces are put
together. ”I work fast and intuitively, and I do try to trust my gut
feeling,” says Fredrik, ”I’m genuinely interested in the practical
function of a design, but I am as intrigued by design as a
communication device and a cultural interface.” With a broad
education ranging from the Beckmans College of Design, an
internship at IKEA, to his MA at the Royal College of Art in
London, Fredrik is truly interdisciplinary, and wants design to
reflect our contemporary world, and doesn’t want to draw any
boundaries to other cultural expressions like art, fashion, and
music.
Are you a designer or an artist? I work a lot in a gallery
context, which is why many call me an artist. But I have a
degree as a designer, and I’m really a furniture guy. I’m
hooked on material which doesn’t have a high status, and
many of my pieces are unique, but all part of a process which
is continuously developed. And regardless if the final product
is a chair, a party, or an exhibition, I’m totally into it. It’s what
I love, and it’s what I do, because it allows me to have fun. I
do think it’s time to broaden our view on how you can work
as a designer! What are you reading and listening to? I just
finished Caroline Ringskog Ferrada-Noli’s Rich Boy, amazing
language, impossible to stop reading. Musicwise I’m into
Suicide, GG Allin, Spokes H, and Robyn right now, do check
out the British radio stations Rins.fm and NTS Radio.
RÖHSSKA
Fredrik Paulsen | 2O19
