Busy times indeed for the talented Finnish designer Sebastian Jansson. Not only did Stephen Burks, New York designer and founder of the Readymade Project, nominate him for Blickfang in Basel last weekend but, later this week, he will be exhibiting at Salone Satellite in Milan.
Style is never the starting point for Sebastian Jansson´s designs. Rather, style is a consequence of the infinite visual simplicity he achieves through a unity of symbolism, structure, materials and the human beings he had in mind when carrying out his initial research. Take a look below at some our favorite recent designs from Sebastian Jannson:
Mec Stool
The Mec Stool is the result of research for a project at an International Summer Workshop run in collaboration with the Vitra Design Museum. The brief, by Stephen Burks, was to provide support based on various frequently adopted natural postures and objectify the concept as a mechanical extension of the human body. The Mec Stool takes into account sit-to-stand movement and postural variations that lead the body to lose balance at a certain point. A highly personal yet simple and rigid plywood structure, with a playful look.
Folded Lamp
As a designer who enjoys “tweaking” everyday objects, Sebastian Jansson has always been intrigued by the way a plain sheet of paper folds into regular structures and fascinated by paper bags in particular. Folded Lamp is based on the same principles of folding seen in paper bags. Depending on which angles the user creates, the lamp produces a different atmosphere that can be changed depending on the degree of light required and the ambiance desired.
The lampshade, which is hand crafted and made of a thin sheet of treated steel, is available in our favorite three colors (black, white and grey) with a yellow lining. The dramatic contrast between the yellow interior and clean-cut exterior is a vital aspect of the design, highlighting what Jansson defines as “the tension between the object and its surrounding environment”.
Infinity Chair
Sebastian Jansson is fascinated by the symbolic dimension that shapes acquire in the environment. Currently based in Paris, he has been working on a concept that reflects his perception of the role of shapes and materials as symbols in their own right. The structure of his Infinity chair was determined by close analysis and observation of natural postures and sit-to-stand movements, and his choice of shapes and materials infuse the design with a strong symbolic charge.
Habitus Stool
Habitus is a bar stool inspired by the shape of the coffee leaf and constructed from geometric shapes. With its sculptural appearance, Habitus gives character to its environment, inviting the eye to glance over its anthropomorphic structure. By studying the formation of coffee leafs, Sebastian Jansson was able to re-create the stool through this intricate arrangement of geometric forms, whilst maintaining its aesthetic qualities and comfort.
The stool is made from folded and welded laser cut 1mm steel. Habitus was developed and manufactured during Jansson’s time in Milan (2008-09) and was originally designed to feature in the Kaffa Roastery in Helsinki, but is now represented internationally.
Cumulus Lamp
The modular Cumulus Lamp is a contemporary study of two materials placed in a foreign context. The semitransparent reflective material from Stavellan has never been used in this way before. Light is deflected in six directions within a sphere, thereby diffusing the light in a spectacular way to create an optical illusion. The use of Velcro® Ultramate® to join the panels, forms a skeletal structure that creates an extremely rigid framework. Cumulus is a reflection of Jansson’s geometric interpretation of the organic environment.
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