Ex-Works
The next generation of designers
Ex-Works is an initiative that brings together design students and the Swedish furniture industry, creating opportunities to meet, exchange ideas and build connections.
Ex-Works 2026 showcases more than 40 furniture and design projects by recent graduates from five of Sweden’s leading design schools.
The participating schools are Konstfack, Malmstens and Beckmans in Stockholm, HDK-Valand in Gothenburg, and HDK-Valand Campus Steneby in Dals Långed.
Together, the projects offer a glimpse of what the future of design might look like.
Ex-Works 2026 launches in September.
Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts & Design
With around 200 staff and about a thousand students from around the world, Konstfack is Sweden’s largest university of arts, crafts, and design. Founded in 1844, it has since educated a wide range of professionals in the fields of art and design. Konstfack offers bachelor’s, master's, and doctoral programs, as well as teacher training and standalone courses.
Students in the exhibition:
Isabella Werner, Isolde Berg, Wendy Kaissara Skogstad, Valentin Strohkirch, Oskar Schmidt, Lara Braun, Lilly Ellen Dormeier, William Segerlind, Alva Jakobsson, David Ivarsson, Karl Salomonsson, Hugo Edholm, Andreas Lejon & Ellen Jakobsson.
Isabella Werner
Isabella Werner is an interior architect and designer educated in Spatial Design at Konstfack, with a background that bridges design, architecture, and social anthropology. Prior to her design studies, she earned a Bachelor's degree in Social Anthropology from Stockholm University, specializing in dance. This interdisciplinary foundation informs her approach to design, fostering an understanding...
Isolde Berg
Spatial Design
Isolde Berg is a designer educated at Konstfack whose practice is deeply rooted in craftsmanship, material knowledge, and the preservation of traditional techniques. Through furniture, objects, and material-based investigations, she explores how craft, storytelling, and cultural heritage can be carried forward and reinterpreted within a contemporary design context.
Wendy Kaissara Skogstad
Spatial Design
Wendy Skogstad is a designer educated in Spatial Design at Konstfack whose practice is rooted in craftsmanship, material exploration, and making by hand. Working across objects, furniture, and spatial compositions, she is particularly interested in how materials carry stories, memories, and traces of human labor.
Valentin Strohkirch
Spatial Design
Valentin Strohkirch is a designer studying the Master's programme in Spatial Design at Konstfack. His practice is rooted in a strong interest in making, material knowledge, and the relationship between design and production. Working across furniture, interiors, and spatial interventions, he seeks to bridge the gap between design speculation and the realities of fabrication, creating work that is...
Oskar Schmidt
Spatial Design
Oskar Schmidt is a Swedish designer with a Master's degree in Spatial Design from Konstfack, following both his Bachelor's (2020-2023) and Master's (2024-2026) studies within the Interior Architecture and Furniture Design programme. Between his degrees, he worked with product design at Office for Design (O f D) in Stockholm, gaining professional experience that further strengthened his interest in long-lasting and thoughtful design.
Lara Braun
Interior architecture and furniture design
Lara Braun is a designer working at the intersection of furniture, objects, and interior architecture, with a practice deeply rooted in material exploration and sustainable design. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Interior Architecture and Furniture Design from Konstfack, Lara approaches design through both a furniture and spatial perspective, creating works that investigate the possibilities and...
Lilly Ellen Dormeier
Spatial Design
Lilly Ellen Dormeier is a spatial designer educated in the Master’s programme in Spatial Design at Konstfack. Her practice explores how design can contribute to more meaningful forms of coexistence between people, communities, and the wider ecological systems they are part of. Working from a deeply human-centred perspective, she investigates how spaces can support connection, participation, and a higher quality of life.
William Segerlind
Interior architecture and furniture design
William Segerlind is a Swedish interior architect and furniture designer with a Bachelor's degree from Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design. During his education, he expanded his perspective through an exchange program at Design Academy Eindhoven, and his work was recognized with support from the Josef Frank Scholarship Fund.
Alva Jakobsson
Interior architecture and furniture design
Alva Jakobsson studied Interior Architecture and Furniture Design at Konstfack, where she developed a materially driven and research-based practice exploring questions of authenticity, value, and imitation. Her work moves fluidly between theory and making, using everyday observations and personal experiences as points of departure for broader investigations into cultural meaning and perception.
David Ivarsson
Spatial Design
David Ivarsson is driven by a desire to question individual expression in relation to external factors. He argues that we cannot rely on our individual expression without taking into account the aspects outside ourselves that influence and shape us. He holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in interior architecture from Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design (2021–2026).
Karl Salomonsson
Spatial Design
Karl Salomonson is a Swedish spatial designer, architect, and maker with a Master's degree in Spatial Design from Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design. His work has been exhibited at prominent design platforms, including 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen, Stockholm Creative Edition, and the Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair. During his studies, he was awarded the Konstfack Scholarship for...
Hugo Edholm
Interior architecture and furniture design
Hugo Edholm is a designer educated in Interior Architecture and Furniture Design at Konstfack. His work moves between furniture design and artistic expression, exploring how discarded materials can be transformed into playful, expressive, and functional objects. Guided by intuition, experimentation, and a curiosity for overlooked materials, he creates furniture that celebrates both craftsmanship and reinvention.
Andreas Lejon
Design Ecologies
Andreas Lejon is a Master’s student at Konstfack whose practice spans furniture design, product development, and ecological transition. His work is grounded in a material-driven approach, where hands-on experimentation and prototyping allow materials to guide both concept and form. Rather than treating materials as passive elements, he engages with their origin, behavior, and limitations, using...
Ellen Jakobsson
Spatial design
Ellen Jakobsson is a designer educated in Textile Art and Spatial Design at Konstfack. Her practice moves between craft, material exploration, and spatial design, with a particular interest in how knowledge develops through making. Rooted in a textile background, her work investigates the relationship between materials, tools, and embodied forms of learning that emerge through long-term engagement with craft.
Malmstens Linköping University
Malmstens LiU offers three programs in the field of design: Furniture Design, Cabinetmaking, and Upholstery. The school’s goal is to develop high-quality furniture for all people and environments through craftsmanship, artistic work, product development, and critical perspectives on contemporary and historical contexts. Conceptual and artistic skills are combined with technical expertise and innovation to deepen craft knowledge and promote sustainable development.
Students in the exhibition:
Felicia Lundberg, Ebba Mattsson, Fredrik Eliasson, Linn Krouthén & Henrique Bond.
Felicia Lundberg
Möbeldesign
Working at the intersection of furniture and textile design, Felicia Lundberg is a graduate of the Bachelor’s program in Furniture Design at Malmstens, Linköping University. Her practice is rooted in textiles, craftsmanship, and material storytelling, informed by a background in textile production and experience running her own company focused on sustainable and transparent processes. Together...
Ebba Mattsson
Furniture Design
A graduate of the Bachelor’s program at Malmstens, Ebba Mattsson works with a practice centered on the relationship between material, form, and perception. Her work investigates how design can reveal inherent material qualities rather than impose predetermined expressions, allowing variation, texture, and origin to inform both concept and construction. Through a process grounded in observation,...
Fredrik Eliasson
Möbelsnickeri
Fredrik Eliasson is a furniture maker educated at Malmstens, where he has developed a practice rooted in material sensitivity, craftsmanship, and a deep respect for tradition. His work centres on the relationship between surface, structure, and tactility, with a particular focus on how material treatment contributes to an object’s identity and presence.
Linn Krouthén
Furniture Design
Linn Krouthén is a furniture designer educated at Malmstens whose practice combines furniture design, object design, and illustration. Through a process grounded in research, drawing, model making, and prototyping, she explores the relationship between form, material, and craftsmanship, creating objects that exist between utility and sculpture.
Henrique Bond
Furniture Design
Henrique Bond Landaeta is a designer whose practice centres on the relationship between the body and the object—how people actually use things, rather than how they are expected to. Raised in a family of craftspeople, his work is grounded in a deep material awareness and a respect for making as both a practical and cultural process.
Beckmans School of Design
Beckmans College of Design in Stockholm offers three BA courses: Design, Fashion and Visual Communication. The school was founded in 1939 by, among others, designer Anders Beckman, who served as its first principal. Today, Beckmans is one of Sweden’s leading design schools, with close ties to the industry through practicing teachers and guest lecturers. Pressing social issues related to sustainability, diversity, economics, and culture are deeply integrated into the curriculum.
Students in the exhibition:
Joelle Aune, Daniel Trewe, Celine Skolleborg & Malte Lundberg.
Joelle Aune
Product Design
Joelle Aune studied Product Design at Beckmans, where her practice explores the relationship between material, symbolism, and form through a deeply intuitive and sculptural approach. Her work is guided by a sensitivity to material presence, allowing inherent qualities to shape both process and outcome.
Daniel Trewe
Form
A graduate of Beckmans College of Design, Daniel Trewe is engaged in a design practice that intertwines furniture design with a background in culinary arts. His work explores how methods, thinking, and sensibilities from the kitchen can be translated into form, composition, and material expression. Through this approach, design is treated as both a functional discipline and a narrative tool,...
Celine Skolleborg
Form
As a graduate of Beckmans College of Design, Celine Skolleborg is engaged in furniture and product design. Her practice is centered on modular systems, where objects are explored in terms of how they can connect, adapt, and be reconfigured in flexible ways. Influenced by material-driven design and a strong engagement with wood and craftsmanship, an approach is taken that combines conceptual...
Malte Lundberg
Form
During his studies in Product Design at Beckmans, Malte Lundberg developed a practice focused on creating furniture that combines functionality, joy, and a strong sensitivity to material. His work is rooted in an appreciation for wood as both a cultural and technical material, informed by traditions of Swedish folk culture and craftsmanship.
HDK Valand - Academy of Art & Design
HDK-Valand at the University of Gothenburg offers education and research in design, film, photography, fine art, crafts, and literary composition, as well as teacher training in visual arts and crafts. With an international environment and a unique range of disciplines, HDK-Valand creates opportunities for innovative education, research, and collaboration, with a focus on developing new approaches and perspectives. The bachelor’s and master’s design programs are transdisciplinary, rooted in spatial design, visual communication, and product design.
Students in the exhibition:
Rebecca Magyar, Rebecca Hedrén, Linn-Sofie Omark, Wilma Stärner, Shamik Taiyab Khan, Abhishek Muthurajan, George Ganno, Märta Carlsson & Ellen Morein.
Rebecca Magyar
Design
Rebecca Magyar is a designer whose work is defined by a strong sensitivity to materials and their ability to shape human experience. With a background in Design and Innovation Engineering from Karlstad University and an MFA in Design from HDK-Valand, University of Gothenburg, she combines technical understanding with a distinctly intuitive, hands-on approach. Her expertise spans industrial...
Rebecca Hedrén
Design
Rebecca Hedrén is a designer educated in the Master's programme at HDK-Valand whose practice explores the intersections of architecture, interior design, material culture, and identity. Through research-based and material-driven work, she investigates how personal and collective histories can be translated into spatial experiences and objects.
Linn-Sofie Omark
Design
Linn-Sofie Omark is a Swedish designer and craftsperson, educated at HDK-Valand Academy of Art and Design, whose practice explores the relationship between sculptural design, sensory experience, and social sustainability. Working across furniture, sculpture, and spatial objects, she creates pieces that encourage curiosity, playfulness, and interaction.
Wilma Stärner
Design
Wilma Stärner is a Swedish designer and architect whose practice explores the intersection of spatial design, interior architecture, and product design. She holds a Master's degree in Design from HDK-Valand Academy of Art and Design and a Master's degree in Architecture from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.
Shamik Taiyab Khan
MFA Programme in Design
Shamik Khan is a designer and craft practitioner educated in the MFA Programme in Design at HDK-Valand, University of Gothenburg. Working across design research, strategic design, visual communication, and material-driven design, his practice investigates the relationships between materials, landscapes, and the social and ecological systems that shape them. Through a relational approach to...
Abhishek Muthurajan
Child Culture Design
Abhishek Muthurajan is a graduate of the Master’s program in Child Culture Design at HDK-Valand, where his work explored the intersection of design, food, and children’s participation.
George Ganno
Konstnärligt Kandidatprogram I Design
George Ganno is a designer whose practice is rooted in the conviction that designed objects are never neutral; they carry culture, history, and identity whether we intend them to or not. Working across furniture design, spatial installations, textile artefacts, and curatorial projects, his work investigates how objects and environments shape the ways we think, feel, and position ourselves in the world.
Märta Carlsson
Design
Märta Carlsson is a designer educated at HDK-Valand whose practice explores the intersection of furniture design, spatial design, material exploration, and circular design. Guided by a strong commitment to ecological sustainability, she investigates how design can extend the lifespan of materials and objects through reuse, modularity, and thoughtful production methods.
Ellen Morein
Design
Ellen Morein is a designer educated at HDK-Valand whose practice focuses on furniture design, spatial installations, and modular systems. Through an exploration of form, adaptability, and user interaction, she develops designs that respond to changing needs while maintaining a strong sculptural presence.
HDK Valand - Campus Steneby
With its high-quality facilities in Dalsland, situated between Gothenburg and Oslo, and courses taught in English, HDK Valand Campus Steneby offers an international education in a beautiful natural setting. The school offers bachelor’s programs in Metal Art, Wood Oriented Furniture Design, and the Crafting Futures program, which emphasizes the development of technical skills, material knowledge, project planning, as well as history and theory. The MFA in Applied Art and Design is a two-year programme that invites practitioners to develop their own approach to practice in one of the material disciplines.
Students in the exhibition:
Alvar Leijonberg, Elbrich van der Wal, Natan Ponieman, Viktor Hubbertz, Cleo Eschapasse, Jacques Schiessl, Sofia Valborg Smedröd & Jordan Whelan.
Alvar Leijonberg
Wood oriented furniture design
Alvar Leijonberg studied Wood-Oriented Furniture Design at HDK-Valand/Steneby, where his practice centers on the relationship between form, material, and perception. His work explores how furniture can evoke visual comfort and create a sense of calm within domestic spaces.
Elbrich van der Wal
Applied Arts and Design, Wood Oriented Furniture Design
Elbrich van der Wal is a designer and maker studying the Master's programme in Applied Arts and Design: Wood Oriented Furniture Design at HDK-Valand Campus Steneby. Her degree project, Making is Optional, looks at furniture not as a finished result but as a starting point.
Natan Ponieman
Wood oriented furniture design
Natan Ponieman studied Wood-Oriented Furniture Design at HDK-Valand/Steneby, where his practice engaged with the cultural, historical, and acoustic dimensions of objects. Working primarily with wood, he approaches furniture-making as both an artistic and research-driven medium, exploring how material, form, and sound intersect.
Viktor Hubbertz
Wood oriented furniture design
Viktor Hubbertz is a designer educated at HDK-Valand Campus Steneby, where he completed his Master’s studies with a focus on wood oriented furniture design. His practice operates at the intersection of craftsmanship, material exploration, and advanced digital design tools, investigating how these domains can be meaningfully combined within contemporary design processes.
Cleo Eschapasse
Wood oriented furniture design
Being a Master’s graduate from HDK-Valand Campus Steneby, Cleo Eschapasse is engaged in a design practice centered on authenticity, material presence, and the relationship between object and user. Her work is driven by an interest in creating a dialogue between people and the objects they encounter, considering not only function but also the movements, behaviors, and atmospheres that design can...
Jacques Schiessl
Wood oriented furniture design
Jacques Schiessl is a German furniture designer and systems-oriented practitioner with a Bachelor's degree from HDK-Valand Campus Steneby. During his studies, he completed several notable projects, including the award-winning Play Table, recipient of the Olga Birkfeldt Art Prize, a collaborative project with Swedish furniture manufacturer Stolab, and the construction of a pavilion for the Venice...
Sofia Valborg Smedröd
Wood oriented furniture design
Sofia Valborg Smedröd is a furniture designer and upholsterer whose work combines craftsmanship, bold artistic expression, and a deep curiosity for sustainable materials. A graduate of the Bachelor’s Programme in Wood-Oriented Furniture Design at HDK-Valand, Campus Steneby, Sofia brings together traditional upholstery knowledge and contemporary furniture design to create playful,...
Jordan Whelan
Wood oriented furniture design
Jordan Whealan is a furniture designer and maker whose work explores the relationship between natural materials, contemporary interiors, and human connection to the built environment. A graduate of the Bachelor’s Degree program at HDK-Valand – Campus Steneby, Jordan combines a foundation in traditional craftsmanship with an experimental and material-driven design approach.
