Q&A with… Kristina Dam

Kristina Dam is a Danish designer, based in Copenhagen, who works on the intersection of art, interior and graphic design. With a background in architecture, she creates furniture with a strong focus on materials and textures, as well as pieces of art and graphic posters. A mirror becomes a sculpture, for example, or a regular magazine holder is transformed with a piece of marble and touches of brass. Her botanical posters created in collaboration with photographer Tuala Hjarnø are one of my favourite pieces of hers; slightly eery and ethereal but quietly beautiful at the same time. Here, I find out a bit more about her world:

What is your background, how did you end up doing what you are doing now?

I went to architecture school and graduated as a graphic designer from the Royal Danish Design School. I now live in Copenhagen with my husband and our little girl. Previously, I worked for design practices as a graphic designer but I started my own company, Kristina Dam Studio, two and a half years ago. [more after the jump…]

Where does your inspiration come from?

I travel a lot with my family and that must be my biggest inspiration. I love big cities such as Berlin, New York, Bangkok, London, Paris and I always take along my sketchbook; to take a break from everyday life is good for my inspiration flow.

I also search for inspiration in fashion and styling, for example, my Botanic Posters are inspired by a combination of botanical motifs in fashion and the fact that I grew up in the countryside with a mum and dad that loved their garden. Several times they did garden “shows” or open houses in their own garden – “botanic is alive,” my mother used to say. My furniture for the Spring/Summer 2015 collection, Botanic Storage, is also a combination of flower storage and a mikado game but with new materials such as brass and oak.

How does your design process work?

The first thing I do when I’m inspired is to find materials and tools to create the products at my desk. I start creating and looking from different angles – I learnt from architecture school how to work with this process and also to do prototypes in cardboard. When I work with illustrations, I spend time on research and the atmosphere I find in this is important for me to communicate through my work.

What does the average day look like for Kristina Dam?

No day is the same and that is the good thing about being your own boss, but most of the time I’m drawing at my computer, making prototypes, etc.

What does the future hold for yourself and your studio?

I hope to be able to continue working with my creativity as I do now or even more if the company grows…

Thanks for answering my questions Kristina! See her website here. 

    
All images: Kristina Dam, photography: Tuala Hjarnø