Sonna Rosén studied at Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts, and Design during the 1940s. After graduation, Rosén was a member of staff in the architectural studio of Carl-Axel Acking, and for many years she mainly worked in textile design.
In 1948, Rosén designed a version of the traditional stick-back chair, called Solfjärden (eng. The Fan), produced by Nässjö Stolfabrik, which came to be her one-hit wonder. Solfjädern was originally created for retirement homes, designed to be easy to sit down and rise from. Due to its lightness, high comfort, and well-balanced design, Solfjädern soon became appreciated in private homes as well as in public interiors.
Rosén’s design was one of few Swedish furniture, besides Bruno Mathsson’s, that became well known abroad. Already in 1952, Solfjädern was honored with the Award of Good Design by the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Since 1993, Solfjädern has been produced by Swedish manufacturer Gemla Fabrikers.
In 2019/2020, Rosén was represented at the exhibition Female Traces at the Museum of Furniture Studies in Stockholm. Sanna Rosén passed away in 2007 at the age of 87.
