HDK-Valand Graduates' Theses Receive Award from Ung Svensk form

The three alumni who received this year's prestigious award are Ola Lindgren and Johanna Boman in the category Graphic design/illustration and Karl Ekdahl in the category Furniture.

Johanna Boman studied the BFA Programme in Design and chose to create a short stop-motion film titled "Verklighetens folk" (People of Reality) as her graduation projects. The film follows a folk costume from the late 19th century, from its creation to being cut into pieces and ultimately used as rags to scrub floors. Through the film, Johanna Boman aims to highlight the constant evolution of folk costumes and how they are not static objects but are influenced by the surrounding world and interactions between people.

"I am incredibly grateful to be part of Ung Svensk Form 2024 and am really looking forward to experiencing the contributions of the other winners. It is very rewarding to take part of others' creative work, and I look forward to being inspired," says Johanna Boman.

Ola Lindgren completed the MFA programme in Design with his project titled "The Community Press – Graphic Design and Public Communication in Speculative Low-Tech Societies."

"With the project The Community Press, I explore the role of graphic design, public communication, and writing in relation to urgent political or environmental challenges. I place the project in a scenario where I let self-made primitive graphic tools visualize and convey a story. The result is a 'community press,' a hybrid of a functioning printing workshop installation, a 'printing performance,' and a participatory workshop where visitors are encouraged to contribute texts that are then set, printed, and displayed during the ongoing exhibition," says Ola Lindgren.

A new addition to this year is that PostNord Frimärken (PostNord Stamps) steps in as a scholarship provider in Ung Svensk Form. This year, three recipients have been receiving paid sketch assignments from PostNord, and Ola Lindgren is one of the winners.

"It feels like a great honor to receive Ung Svensk Form 2024 and PostNord's scholarship for my work with The Community Press. This ensures that the project will continue in exhibition format for another year. It will be exciting to see what it can lead to and how the work will be received by a broader audience," says Ola Lindgren.

The third award-winning graduate is Karl Ekdahl from the BFA Programme in Wood Oriented Furniture Design, a program studied at the Steneby campus in Dals Långed. Karl's winning contribution is titled "Materials in Tension," and he wins in the furniture category.

With the project, Karl Ekdahl aimed to find alternative ways in which materials can be joined together. Through material-based research he aims to gain a deeper understanding of the material relationship between textile and wood. Mechanical tension was used in the project to explore the fabric's potential as a structural component in furniture.

"To get this award feels incredibly significant! I have applied to Ung Svensk Form earlier during my education, so it feels especially nice to be selected this year with my graduation projekct. My hope is that this award with accompanying exhibition opportunities will lead to finding contacts and potential collaborators in the industry. I will also be present at the fair's booth over the weekend," says Karl Ekdahl.

The BFA programmes Design and Furniture Design with a focus on wood are open for applications from 19 January to 1 March.
Read more about the programmes below.