top of page
Search

Do you know the city you’re walking in?


Even if I had lived in Stockholm for many years, I didn’t know anything about the history of the city.

I didn’t even question or wonder who built the buildings I visited, they were just there.

Almost like it was a history forgotten. But one day it all changed and that due to a book.



Books are the key to discover another world

It was spring 2016 and I was scrolling on an auction house’s website to find some furniture. Suddenly I see something called antique school and a course called Swedish Grace. I got curious and borrowed a book from the City Library in Stockholm about this art period.



Swedish Grace refers to an art movement in architecture and design from about 1910 into the 1930s in Sweden. Elegance and exclusivity are characteristics of the style of the Swedish Grace. Inspiration was taken from the classic ancient forms and ornamentation. Famous Swedish buildings from this period are the Match Palace, City Library and City Hall. Swedish Grace was a Swedish variant of Art Deco. It was a time between national romanticism and functionalism. Also a period between older craftsmanship and a modern industrial production.


I was thinking about how I could spread the knowledge about this art period that stood for craftsmanship and that many people knew nothing about. Maybe it is easier to connect to jewelry and clothes that we’re wearing everyday. What if they can tell a story of an older period that is forgotten?


Way of working


I will by designing jewelry and in the future clothes to retell our history. I will take inspiration from Swedish Grace and different art periods in Sweden. For example have I designed a pair of earrings inspired by the architect Gunnar Asplund’s work. Gunnar Asplund was the architect behind the City Library in Stockholm. He also designed furniture.


A deeper understanding about our history


A book changed my view of my surroundings. After reading about Swedish Grace I could connect to the city I was walking in. But do we need to know the history of the city we’re living in?

I think so. When we understand our history we can learn from it.


Older Swedish architecture and design can teach us about craftsmanship.

Today we consume clothes that is not sustainable. What if we went back to buy quality and not fast fashion? And also, what if we read more books? I think our surroundings will be more colorful.



Author: Lillie Erhardt

Comments


Commenting has been turned off.
bottom of page