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, testing, and making, materials are treated as active contributors that shape the direction and outcome of each project.
Her degree project explored these ideas through two cabinets, examining how form influences our perception of materials and what is lost when authenticity and variation are replaced by standardization. By allowing natural characteristics to remain visible and influential, the work questions industrial uniformity and highlights the value of individuality in material expression.
Mattsson’s practice is driven by an interest in authenticity, material knowledge, and the cultural and ecological implications of how objects are made and used. Rather than focusing solely on technical solutions to sustainability, she explores how emotional connection and a deeper understanding of materials can encourage longer, more meaningful relationships with objects. Craftsmanship plays a central role, both as a method of production and as a way of thinking, where knowledge is generated through direct engagement with materials.
Her work is characterized by a sensitivity to material presence and a commitment to amplifying qualities that already exist, creating objects that embrace imperfection, aging, and variation. By doing so, she challenges conventional notions of perfection and value, proposing a design approach that prioritizes individuality and lasting relevance.
