Margrethe Odgaard
Danish textile designer Margrethe Odgaard believes in emotional design. She works with an array of colourways to produce designs that are sculptural, conceptual and artfully layered. Odgaard’s creations are expressive, playful and vibrant, with each piece telling a beautiful story through tactile materials and distinctive patterns.
Educated at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Odgaard sharpened her skills as a textile designer working for seven years at French fashion company, Epice. There, Odgaard developed her abilities in colour and pattern experimentation until she decided to venture out on her own. In 2013, she founded her own studio, since then she has collaborated with renowned brands such as Georg Jensen, Hay, Ikea, Soren Rose Studio and Muuto, to name a few.
Odgaard is constantly searching for new ways of exploiting colour and pattern in material, feeling that the process is just as important as the outcome. She doesn’t confine herself to one medium but instead experiments with multiple materials to create her colourful creations. Her portfolio of works includes Icelandic wool blankets, throws, cushions, rugs, tablecloths, and various installations.
Experimenting with different tools, Odgaard’s method is very intuitive. She believes that injecting passion and diligence into her art-making practice will, in turn, create objects that stimulate similar behaviour in people. She develops colours that are in tune with the senses, with the objective being that they will draw out nurturing and contented feelings in an intriguing manner.
‘The Popsicle Index’ encapsulates Odgaard’s careful attention to art and design and is a perfect example of her sensitive, considerate and meticulous approach to colour. In a nod to the customary use of the Pantone Colour System, Odgaard developed her own tool for colour communication in 2013, ‘The Popsicle Index’. In order to create an arrangement of colours with richness and deeper complexity, Odgaard carefully mixed and painted 520 wooden popsicle sticks as a personal colour reference. She uses these colours to produce her designs, signifiers to determine her palette.
Margrethe has gained global recognition for her work with colour, textiles, and patterns. Being deeply connected to her process means that Odgaard’s designs exude a sense of warmth and narrative.
Just by looking at Odgaard’s diverse portfolio you can tell that in every work there has been a careful consideration for every imprint, every choice of material and every pattern.
“Think through your hands. Free yourself from the limits of coolness. Allow things to evolve at their own pace.” – Margrethe Odgaard
Credits: Margrethe Odgaard
