Anne Dorthe Vester — RO
ABOUT THE PROJECT:
The RO stools by Anne Dorthe Vester explore form and materiality through a single production method – pressure moulded timber veneer. Sculptural in appearance and precise in construction, three curved laminated veneer surfaces are combined with the use of screws and a central stainless steel joint. The curved, hydrodynamic appearance of each plane references traditional wooden oars or early surfboard designs, highlighting the differences in grain structure and colouration of the pear wood, burma paduak and maobi maser veneer utilised for each piece.
RO has been realised with support from Grosserer L.F. Foghts Foundation, The Danish Workshop for Arts and Bjerrum Beukel.
Material and dimensions:
RO 01.
Laminated Burma Padauk Veneer, Stainless Steel.
50 x 28 x 39cm.
RO 02.
Laminated Pear Wood Veneer, Stainless Steel.
50 x 28 x 39cm.
RO 03.
Laminated Moabi Maser Veneer, Stainless Steel.
50 x 28 x 39cm.
Year:
2025
PHOTOGRAPHY BY:
Benjamin Lund
LONG DESCRIPTION:
With each stool constructed from three curved planes, made of seven layers of pressure-moulded veneer and joined by a single stainless steel bracket, the RO stools by Anne Dorthe Vester are a study in material efficiency and the strength of her chosen production method. While this latest design continues Anne Dorthe Vester’s previous studies into the typology of the stool through materials such as aluminium, terrazzo, and solid timber, RO marks a divergence in regard to their strict nature. The strength of each stool comes from the curved laminated forms that efficiently distribute stress across the structure, and at the same time instil the final compositions with a sculptural quality. Named after the Danish word ro – meaning calm or at peace, but also referring to the act of rowing – the design references traditional maritime objects through three visually light, curvaceous shapes that calmly rest against one-another. Whilst highlighting traditional, hand- formed maritime timber objects, a sense of aesthetic nostalgia is heightened through the use of timber veneer.
DESIGNER BIO:
Anne Dorthe Vester.
Architect, born 1984.
With her studio located in Copenhagen’s Vesterbro district, architect Anne Dorthe Vester works from a shared studio environment where prototypes and models are complemented by quiet and ongoing exchanges with colleagues. With her education as an architect alongside hands-on experiences in craft practices, the output of her studio references her formative education through shifts in scale and materiality that are linked by a longevity derived from function, quality materials and aesthetic considerations. Her projects explore the possibilities of materials and processes, whilst challenging their preconceived technical limitations. Her familiarity in working with wood is supplemented by collaborations with artisans across a range of materials including metal, ceramic, glass and terrazzo. Her body of work combines technical research with a visual language that moves towards the slightly unfamiliar, guided by the belief that lasting aesthetics come from exploring new directions.
EDUCATION:
2013: Cabinetmaking, Foundation Course, Copenhagen Technical School, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2012: MA, Architecture, The Royal Danish Academy, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2010: BA, Architecture, Aarhus School of Architecture, Aarhus, Denmark.
GRANTS & HONOURS:
2024: Award Winner, Collaboration with Benita Marcussen, Arkitekten Photo Competition, Denmark.
2023: Project Grant, The National Banks Anniversary Foundation, Denmark.
2022: Member, The Cabinetmakers’ Autumn Exhibition, Denmark.
2022: Working Grant, Danish Arts Foundation, Denmark.
2016: Award, MBADV (Maria Bruun & Anne Dorthe Vester), Fragtment, The Danish Arts Foundation, Denmark.
2015: Award, The Spring Exhibition, MBADV (Maria Bruun & Anne Dorthe Vester), The Artists’ Society, Copenhagen, Denmark.
EXHIBITIONS:
2024: Solo Exhibition, Cassetta, AV, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2023: Group Exhibition, The Cabinetmakers’ Autumn Exhibition, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2023: Group Exhibition, Kinship, Alice Folker Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2022: Group Exhibition, Handmade Screen, Collaboration with Maria Bruun & Søren Bach, Gallery Fumi, London, England.
2021: Group Exhibition, Grid, Udstillingssted for Tekstil, Copenhagen, Denmark.
2021: Group Exhibition, MBADV (Maria Bruun & Anne Dorthe Vester), MAK Center for Art and Architecture at the Schindler House, West Hollywood, USA.
2021: Collaborative Exhibition, Eibhlín Ní Chathasaigh, James Martin, Maria Bruun, Selected as Danish Representative at The Chicago Architecture Biennial, The Danish Arts Foundation, Denmark/USA.
2018: Group Exhibition, Collaboration with Eibhlín Ní Chathasaigh, Reform Design Biennale, Munkeruphus, Dronningmølle, Denmark.
2017: Group Exhibition, MBADV (Maria Bruun & Anne Dorthe Vester), Gallery Fumi, Design Miami Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
2016: Group Exhibition, MBADV (Maria Bruun & Anne Dorthe Vester), If it’s a Chair, Patrick Parrish Gallery, New York, USA.
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