Ragna Ragnarsdóttir is this year's winner of the design award Formex Nova

Ragna Ragnarsdóttir from Iceland is the winner of Formex Nova 2018. The award goes to a young designer in the Nordic region. The winner is named by an expert jury and receives in part a sponsored activity at a value of SEK 50,000.

The jury’s motivation: Ragna Ragnarsdóttir´s design is humoristic, personal and headstrong. Her objects have a mystic feeling about them that makes one think of Icelandic sagas and to the unique nature of the country. At the same time they carry traces of Chinese aesthetics.

“I’m extremely honoured and grateful. The nomination was such a surprise, as a designer it’s so easy to get isolated in your studio. It’s a great feeling to get to know that your work is being acknowledged out there in the world. Recognition for a young designer is a huge energy shot, it makes you forget all the hard work and gets you all excited to continue creating,” says Ragna Ragnarsdóttir.

Ragna Ragnarsdóttir, born in Iceland, graduated from Ensci Les Atelier in 2016. By working in the intersection of design, art, craftsmanship and production, she explores new creative processes. Ragnarsdóttir is constantly looking for innovative ways to mix materials with the mission to create interactivity between the product and the user.

“I think our subconscious embodies everything we sense in our daily live, and from that I get excited about a subject. Whether it is a function, a material, specific shape, techniques or texture, it's then that subject, which becomes my main inspiration.”

More of Ragna Ragnarsdóttir http://ragnaragnarsdottir.squarespace.com

The Formex Nova award
Formex established the Formex Nova award – Nordic Designer of the Year in 2011, to promote high-quality Nordic design created by a still relatively unknown designer working in the Nordic interior design industry. The award includes an exhibition at this spring’s Formex as well as SEK 50,000 for a sponsored activity. The nominees will each receive a unique diploma that has been designed this year by Amandah Andersson.

Previous Formex Nova winners include Hanna Hedman and Simon Klenell, Sweden, 2011, Mari Isopahkala, Finland, 2012, Mattias Stenberg, Sweden, 2013, Line Depping, Denmark, 2014, Erik Olovsson & Kyuhyung Cho, Sweden 2015, Nick Ross, Sweden 2016 and Qian Jiang, Sweden 2017.

To find out more, visit www.formex.se or contact:
Christina Olsson, +46 8 749 44 28, christina.olsson@stockholmsmassan.se
Lotta Signeul, +46 8 749 43 36, lotta.signeul@stockholmsmassan.se

Formex is arranged by Stockholmsmässan and takes place twice a year. It is the leading Nordic meeting place for new products, business opportunities, trends, knowledge and inspiration in the interiors industry. Formex welcomes 850 exhibitors, 23,000 trade visitors and more than 650 media representatives.