Based in Copenhagen, Bruun works with furniture, interiors, and exhibitions. This year, she was awarded the renowned Danish Finn Juhl Prize and was the first furniture designer to be included in the honorable Artistic Elite program by the Danish Arts Foundation (2019-2020). Her works have been shown at acclaimed museums such as the Design Museum in London and Designmuseum Denmark. Today, her solo installation at leading international fair for design, Design Miami/ Basel, opens at Messe Basel in Switzerland.
— In the installation, I present a full collection of new furniture pieces consisting of full body mirrors in solid walnut, a dining table in stainless steel with leather upholstered swivel chairs, stackable boxes in walnut, and mouth-blown glass vases, she tells. As a small microcosm, the full collection is titled Reflected Surroundings, because through the objects I encourage reflection. Aesthetic self-awareness becomes possible when inviting the guests into this sensuous space where every detail is carefully crafted. The surrounding space welcomes in a loving embrace. It optimistically encourages reflection and contemplation, it envelops and unites site, furniture, body, and mind. The furniture pieces are functional sculptures with a quality of craftsmanship that is a loving gesture towards the user.
Tell us more about your new furniture collection. What have you created?
— I return to the mirror as an alluring spatial object which draws us in and opens the space up into new surprising formations. The collection of full-body mirrors in solid oiled walnut stands as proud pillars in the space. Their stoic expression hints that they could almost be parts of an architectural whole, such as panels or nail-fast interiors. Their rigorous design language testifies to a few characteristic curvy details that essentially draws the character of the mirror. The soft grey hue of the mirror is a friendly gesture towards the audience, who is presented with a toned and soft reflection of the surroundings. The mirror lets us see ourselves and experience the room, and it expands the world, the reflection anchoring our being in the world and giving rise to heightened awareness.
— This special project has taken up a lot of my time for the past few years. Bear in mind that this is a self-initiated exhibition without a supporting galley or manufacturing partner. From the beginning, it was an ambitious project and it grew stronger over time. It is a very clear manifestation of my body of work at this point in time. I very much looking forward to taking in — and reflecting on this whole experience.
The new launch, Bruun tells, is also about bringing the Danish design tradition into the future.
— Our country’s design tradition is very much about quality, material understanding, and understated courage. I am deeply rooted in this tradition. I respect and stand on the shoulders of the midcentury classics as many of the contemporary Danish designers of my generation. It’s part of the whole aesthetic, the approach, and what defines me as a Danish furniture designer. But I also want to challenge this tradition to bring it into the future, says Bruun, adding,
— I believe that Danish design has a completely new generation coming up that is ready to take that heritage to new places.
If you don’t make it to Design Miami/ Basel this week, Bruun’s new objects will also be available in her brand new webshop, launching after the fair.
