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.
Her degree project, Unwritten, represents a significant milestone in her practice. Combining handmade paper and wood, the project examines disappearing craft traditions and the knowledge embedded within materials and making processes. Through material research and storytelling, Unwritten explores how objects can preserve memories, histories, and cultural heritage, while raising questions about what happens when traditional knowledge is no longer passed on. The project continues to shape the direction of her work and was recognized with a scholarship from the Jubelfonden in 2026. She has also received scholarships from the Josef Frank Stipendiefond, Estrid Ericsons Stiftelse, and Konstfack.
People, their stories, and the traditions they carry are central sources of inspiration for Isolde. Nature also plays an important role in her work, informing both material choices and ways of thinking about time, growth, and continuity. Her practice is currently focused on craftsmanship and the learning of traditional techniques that are gradually disappearing, with a particular emphasis on handmade paper and its possibilities as both a material and a carrier of narratives.
Materials are fundamental to her process. Having worked with wood for many years, she often allows the material itself to guide design decisions rather than imposing predetermined forms. She is interested in the histories contained within materials and in working with resources that hold personal, cultural, or geographical significance. For Unwritten, she used oak from her grandmother’s childhood farm in Småland, creating a direct connection between material, place, and memory.
Ecological and cultural sustainability are closely intertwined in her work. She strives to use locally sourced and reclaimed materials whenever possible and is committed to preserving traditional craft knowledge by learning from older generations and translating these methods into contemporary design practice. Craftsmanship is not only a method of production but also a way of understanding materials, histories, and relationships between people and objects.
Through careful making, material sensitivity, and a curiosity for forgotten knowledge, Isolde creates work that bridges past and present, offering new perspectives on the role of craft and storytelling in contemporary design.
