Stig Lindberg (1916-1982)

Stig Lindberg - Industrial designer, ceramist and illustrator. He was born in Umeå, but began his career at Gustavsberg´s Porcelain factory in the summer of 1937. After many years of work, he became Wilhelm Kåge´s successor as the artistic leader. His decorated faience, with a character totally of its own and his fanciful stoneware were pioneering during the whole of the 40´ies and 50´ies.

Stig Lindberg illustrated Lennart Hellsing´s children´s books and together they renewed books for children in Sweden towards the end of the 1940´ies and on. Lindberg also created decorative works of art for public environments, several of them in enamel, mostly during the last period of his career. His co-operation with NK´s Textile Studio was initiated in 1947, when the legendary leader of the Textile Studio, Astrid Sampe and Stig Lindberg became friends.

In Gisela Eronn´s book ”Stig Lindberg, Jack-of-all-trades” (Tusenkonstnären Stig Lindberg) (Prisma 2003) we can read that Astrid Sampe was much fascinated by Stig´s creativity and the way he renewed ceramic decoration at Gustavsberg. She suggested he cultivate his originality, his imagination and feeling for textile patterns.

Stig Lindberg soon acquired full knowledge of screen printing techniques and also of the limitations that repeats create. This resulted in a number of playful, surrealistic textile prints, which were exhibited at a special show in the old hall of the Electricity Works, where ”NK Bo” opened an exhibition hall in 1947. The patterns were ”Melody”, ”Fruit-box”, ”Paradise” and ”Pottery” among others.