She Has Seen the Light
Louise Campbell is considered the crown princess of Danish design. With her "out of the box" way of thinking, she is said to be following in the footsteps of one of the greatest Danish designers of the 20th century: Poul Henningsen. And the recognition of her work reaches far beyond Denmark. This year the international lifestyle magazine Wallpaper honored her with the title "best breakthrough."
One of the most creative and talented designers Denmark has produced in the last 10 years. That was the verdict of the jury who elected Louise Campbell "Designer of the Year" at the Copenhagen Furniture Fair in 2005. And their enthusiasm was hard to miss:
"She has in the most distinguished way pushed Danish design forward. Not by standing on the shoulders of previous designers, but by creating products that are innovative both when it comes to shape and material. She dares the unbelievable – and at the same time her design works in ordinary, yet very different homes."
Over the last couple of years, the 35-year-old furniture and lighting designer has made a name for herself internationally. Based in an all-white and slightly messy - in the cozy and creative way -studio in a backyard in central Copenhagen, Louise Campbell has not only been recognized in her own country as one of the most promising shooting stars of Danish design. Her chairs, couch and creative lamps have been on display in London, New York, Toronto, Tokyo, Paris, Stockholm and several other world cities. And this year the international lifestyle magazine Wallpaper honoured her with the title "Best Breakthrough" for the imaginative black and white chairs called "Between two Chairs" that she designed for Danish Crown Prince Frederik. German and English magazines such as Elle Decorations, Harpers & Queens and Ideales Heim have also pointed out her designs. There is no doubt: the Copenhagen-born designer has seen the light when it comes to reinventing Danish design.
At the Copenhagen Furniture Fair the jury paid special attention to the lamp pendant made of glass with sand-blown stripes that Louise Campbell designed for the nearly 100-year-old lamp manufacturer Louis Poulsen Lightning A/S. Just like the radical designer Poul Henningsen in the 1920’s and 1930’s, Louise Campbell is now leading the traditional lamp manufacturer into a new area with a series of lamps, the pendant "Collage" being the latest addition to the family.
Poul Henningsen's famous PH lamps with three shades have been coveted and treasured by almost three generations of design-conscious Danes and are still lighting up dinner tables across the country. Poul Henningsen wanted to make "good design for the people," and Louise Campbell, for whom functionality is the number one priority, has a similar vision, although she puts it less explicitly:
"My dream is to design pieces whose value doesn't change in time. This is why I push things to the limit of what's technically possible, trusting only my instinct, a way to work that is now considered attractive and fashionable. I think it's important for designers to take risks sometimes. I don't think anyone has seen anything as creative, playful or competently designed since the 70’s," she has stated.
Louise Campbell's work is experimental and is gaining a reputation for gently twisting not only everyday objects and situations, but also materials and manufacturing processes in new directions. The combination of Scandinavian rationalism and femininity, and perhaps her dual nationality (her father is Danish, her mother is English) gives the works of Louise Campbell an unusual edge. Illustrating contrasts seems to be an issue that keeps returning in her work.
May 2007