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Designer Mimmi Blomqvist teams up with local artisans — for the love of Moomin
Launching Sirkka, a celebration of the Swedish designer’s Finnish grandmother.
By JOHAN MAGNUSSON
19 Jan 2023

Blomqvist is a Stockholm-based designer and artist who recently graduated after studying Ceramics and Glass at Konstfack (University of Arts, Crafts and Design) for five years.

— My design, she explains, is playful and elegant at the same time —  I love the feeling of making something beautiful to surround myself with.

In 2019, she met Svenskt Tenn’s senior advisor Thommy Bindefeld — who asked her to design pretty much whatever she wanted, in the materials that she wanted to work with, for a collection for the iconic Swedish interior retailer.

— Such an honour — but also the most difficult task I’d ever been given! I never felt ready to show the final sketches because I always wanted to continue to develop different ideas but it all went very well.

The collection, Sirkka, is a series of objects all based on influences from the Finnish Moomin universe and Scandinavian nature. 

— It is named after my Finnish grandmother, says Blomqvist, and to be able to honour her through this collection feels incredibly powerful.

What can you say about the materials and the production?

— The collection consists of a wooden stool in ash, bowls in transparent glass, and a lamp of shiny brass and opal glass. Every piece is Made in Sweden by selected local producers. They are all made by hand by wood artist Paul Kovacs, glass producer SKRUF, and lamp manufactory Rubn, which makes every piece unique. This was something that I was very determined to achieve and it feels amazing that we were able to — it also goes hand in hand with Svenskt Tenn’s view of sustainable development of design.

”I’d like to see more textiles on walls like they did it ages ago”

You’ve recently graduated, what would you like to see more of in the design industry?

— I’d like to see more textiles on walls like they did ages ago. Why don’t we add tapestry to our walls, using rugs or our favourite fabric? I want more cosiness and I hope that we’ll see darker hues in general in our furnishing and interior choices. I also wish for and believe in more locally produced design. I’m tired of mass production. If you ask me, design is something that should last a lifetime and hang on for generations. Last but not least, I look forward to seeing my design in homes around the world, in different contexts and interior styles and cultures — that would be a dream come true, says Blomqvist.