Svenskt Tenn kicks off 90th anniversary with Fornasetti exhibition

2014 marks Svenskt Tenn’s 90th anniversary. This will be celebrated throughout the year, with a focus on founder Estrid Ericson. The first of many events is an exhibition showing the cooperation with Italian design house Fornasetti.

Piero Fornasetti (1913-1988) was an Italian painter, sculptor, interior decorator, and the creator of more than 13,000 products. He is renowned as one of the most original creative talents of the twentieth century and created a visual vocabulary that is instantly recognizable.

Svenskt Tenn’s founder Estrid Ericson and Piero Fornasetti were friends and had the highest respect for each other’s creativity. Their cooperation started as early as in 1946 when Fornasetti produced the ’’Stockholm plate’’ for Svenskt Tenn, with a map image designed by Josef Frank. Using maps in the interiors was a way for Estrid Ericson to invite the world to the home.

Svenskt Tenn is the historical and authorized Fornasetti dealer in Sweden – wallpaper and textile excluded.

Today Piero Fornasetti’s son, Barnaba, is perpetuating the tradition. In the atelier skilled craftsmen and women use the same handcrafted techniques as were employed on the very first products. Color is applied by hand and the original paper patterns are still in use.

The exhibition is open February 4 – March 30 in Svenskt Tenn’s store at Strandvägen 5 in Stockholm.