Jenny Nordberg

Jenny Nordberg (Swedish, b. 1978) is an industrial designer based in Malmö, Sweden, whose interdisciplinary work explores and challenges contemporary notions of design as well as the role of the designer. Nordberg is driven by a desire to develop strategies and alternative methods that counter the problematic aspects of mass production. Her research and studio practices focus on the history as well as the future of consumerism with an end to transforming the preconditions that exist in much of the design world today. Stylistically Nordberg’s work is characterized by a combination of Brutalism and Minimalism, and often leaning on chance as an important element. In her ongoing series, 3 to 5 Seconds: Rapid Handmade Production, which began in 2014, Nordberg researched mirror-making techniques from the nineteenth century and became fascinated with the process and results of her experiments. To create each mirror, a thin layer of liquid silver is applied to the surface of the glass, where its uncontrolled movement results in a unique design where unpredictability is central to its allure. Nordberg’s mirrors create a striking effect wherein one’s reflection appears almost as a haunting apparition, an ephemeral quality that contrasts dramatically with the immediacy of the design itself.

Nordberg received an MFA in industrial design and has been the recipient of numerous awards and commissions. Her work has been exhibited widely.