Carina Seth Andersson

An upbringing that shaped her artistry

Designer Carina Seth Andersson describes her childhood as growing up “in the woods”. While her family lived in the Stockholm suburb of Lidingö, they spent almost half their time at their country home near Bålsta, Sweden.

— I didn’t have any friends there, but the forest was big and the trees were high. I don’t recall ever being bored. My father taught me so much about flora and fauna — something I’m happy for today – most likely I got my interest in cultivation from him.

Carina Seth Andersson has collaborated with Svenskt Tenn for over a decade. In 2009, her collection of nature-inspired vases was launched at Svenskt Tenn’s store and over the years, the Dagg (Dew), Kotte (Cone), and Stubbe (Tree Stump) have become classics in the range.

Ever since she graduated from the University College of Arts, Crafts and Design (Konstfack) in 1993, Carina Seth Andersson has moved freely between different disciplines of crafts and design. She has worked with everything from glass and clay to metal, wood and textiles, and has even been commissioned for a number of public art projects.

— What’s important for me is that there is a sense of nerve in what I do. I like the simplicity in laboratory glass and I like to reduce anything that is excessive in my objects. But then, my objects need to have that little something; so they don’t feel dead or boring. I like finishing a straight line with a small bulge or to make the touch of a human hand visible. I like allowing randomness to decide, so there’s something uncontrollable within the controlled.

Carina Seth Andersson is represented in a number of museums and institutions, including the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, Röhsska Museum in Gothenburg and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. She was previously a teacher at Beckmans College of Design, but is today devoted full-time to various design commissions.