Fredrik Paulsen
When working with wood, it certainly helps to be a carpenter,
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 anti-design, that Italian
radical design which questions the very ethos of a Modernist
restrained functional simplicity with unique, colourful and
decorative pieces. It’s no surprise that he’s inspired by masters
like Ettore Sottsass, Gaetano Pesce and Gae Aulenti. But
while 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 just as intrigued by design as a
communication device and a cultural interface.” With a broad
educational background ranging from Beckman’s College of
Design through 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, with no
boundaries to other cultural expressions like art, fashion and
music. Apart from object designs, he has worked with
exhibitions, with Robyn, Aplace and lately with bars in Tokyo
and in Hamburg. This year he has created the design bar
at the Stockholm Furniture Fair, and has also been named
Designer of the Year by the Swedish magazine Rum, and
Inspiratory Designer of the Year by Elle Decoration. He will
also soon inaugurate a public art piece in Uppsala.
Are you a designer or an artist?
“I work a lot in a gallery context, which is why many people
call me an artist. But I have a degree as a designer, and I’m
really a furniture guy. I’m hooked on material that 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 of whether 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 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 First, Catch: Study of a Spring Meal by Thom
Eagle, and I’m about to start Elis Monteverde Burrau’s latest
novel. I have a long playlist on shuffle with disco, yacht rock
and boisterous punk.”
RÖHSSKA
Fredrik Paulsen | 2O19 - 2O2O
