Sisu by Nanna Ditzel and Danh Vo for Kvadrat
Originally created by visionary designer Nanna Ditzel in the 1960s, the newest launch of the textile, Sisu, has been curated with the contemporary eye of Danh Vo, who discovered it in the Kvadrat archives and chose it for his solo exhibition ‘Take My Breath Away', at Denmark’s National Gallery (SMK). The award-winning and globally renowned artist worked in collaboration with Kvadrat to reissue the vibrant upholstery textile, exploring the intersection of timeless Danish design, modern culture, and storytelling.
Sisu represents an anthology of stories. It speaks of Kvadrat’s history and the celebrated collaboration with Nanna Ditzel that still echoes through the company. In 1965 Nanna Ditzel created Hallingdal for Halling-Koch Design Centre, started by artist and entrepreneur Baron Percy von Halling-Koch, as part of an eclectic collection that included furniture, rugs, curtains, and men’s ties. Available in an expansive scale of vibrant pastel colourways, it was an outstanding critical and commercial success. Subsequently, Percy Halling-Koch asked Poul Byriel and Bent Olsen, who had founded Kvadrat three years earlier, to distribute the design.
Hallingdal helped to establish Kvadrat and remains one of the company’s most popular designs. It personifies the pioneering spirit of a time when Danish creatives were initiating new collaborations between architects, designers, and weavers - a movement in which Nanna Ditzel played a defining role – which Kvadrat champions to this day.
Danh Vo: “Many companies don’t design things to last. So, it is beautiful to see how seriously Kvadrat has re-produced this textile with every intention to make it last.”
To celebrate the launch of Sisu, Danh Vo and friends; Louise and Martin Feldt from Galleri Feldt, created a special exhibition at Birgers Herretøj (Birger’s menswear), an old menswear shop in Stubbekøbing, Denmark, that was purchased by Danh, Louise and Martin in 2020.
The path to unveiling Sisu began with Danh Vo’s curiosity about how textiles shape the experience of furniture. Inspired by Nanna Ditzel’s iconic design Hallingdal, Vo felt a strong desire to explore her celebrated body of work and set about searching for another of her characterful textiles.
In Vo’s eyes, Sisu formed the perfect bridge to Hallingdale; its expression reminiscent of looking at Hallingdal through a magnifying glass. The textile is woven with thick, voluminous woollen yarns and features a bold yet subtle, checked pattern. Blocks of colour play across its surface, rising to a tactile, rhythmic effect. As with Hallingdal, the construction is immediately apparent when you look at the design: nothing is hidden, and it expresses the essence of the woven textile.
The 16 colourways for Sisu match the yarn colours for Hallingdal, ensuring the textiles seamlessly complement each other. A testament to Nanna Ditzel’s ability to unite craftsmanship, design, and engineering, both upholsteries offer excellent performance and are suitable for virtually all commercial and residential applications.
Discover Sisu by Nanna Ditzel and Danh Vo here.
