A comprehensive monograph exploring Hella Jongerius' visionary, process-driven design practice, drawing on her archive recently acquired by the Vitra Design Museum.

Hella Jongerius is among the most influential designers of the past decades. Since the start of her career in the 1990s, she has created groundbreaking works in many different disciplines, including textiles, ceramics, furniture, lighting, and sculpture. Jongerius' research-driven approach has been a defining influence for an entire generation of young contemporary designers.

This monograph, accompanying the Vitra Design Museum's retrospective offers a definitive look at her multifaceted career-spanning textiles, ceramics, products, interiors, and thought-provoking design manifestos. Drawing from Jongerius' recently acquired archive, the book provides rare insight into her process-driven practice through prototypes, experiments, and research materials. With an introduction by Alice Rawsthorn, an extensive interview with Hella and Louise Schouwenberg and essays by Paola Antonilla, Glenn Adams, Marcella Hanika and Christel Vesters.

Details

ISBN13: 9783945852729
Format: Hardback
Number of Pages: 280
Edition:
Publication Date: 30 Sep 2026
Publisher: Vitra Design Museum
Publication City, Country: Germany
Dimensions (cm): 28(H)x21.3(L)960
Weight (gm): 960

Author Biography

Glenn Adamson, Curator at Large for the Vitra Design Museum, is a curator, writer, and historian based in New York and London. He was previously Director of the Museum of Arts and Design in New York and Head of Research at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Marcella Hanika is assistant curator at the Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, and is working on the exhibition Hella Jongerius and the accompanying publication. She holds a master's degree in art history with a focus on "Art in Context" from the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich.

Alice Rawsthorn is a renowned design critic, celebrated author, and keynote speaker on design.

Reviews

Hella Jongerius is one of the great designers of her generation. At 62, she doesn't have to prove anything to anyone, and she doesn't need to make a name for herself; she's done that already with her 'Polder' and 'Vlinder' sofas for Vitra, cabin and seat interiors for KLM, textiles and seating for the UN with Maharam and Galerie Kreo, and porcelain pieces with Nymphenburg, to name just a few projects, not to mention solo shows and installations at the Design Museum, Centre Pompidou, MoMA, Gropius Bau, and the V&A.--Sophie Lovell "Wallpaper*"