Scandinavian Armchair Domino by Yngve Ekström for Swedese, Sweden, 1960s

Yngve Ekström and his designs

Yngve Ekström (1913-1988) was born in Hagafors in Småland, Sweden, which happened to be where the country's oldest furniture industry was placed. He studied drawing, sculpture, painting, music and art history. With furniture virtually from his mother's milk, he started Swedese in 1945 and was leading the company right up until his death. His career coincided in time with the best part of the postwar modern movement and together with names including Alvar Aalto, Bruno Mathsson, Arne Jacobsen and Poul Kjaerholm he was at the core of a generation designers who made the concept "Scandinavian Modern" famous all over the world. The most well-known design of Yngve Ekström's extensive portfolio is the Lamino armchair from 1956, which is still manufactured and sold all over the world. In 1999 the Lamino was voted the "Twentieth Century's Best Swedish Furniture Design" by the Swedish interior magazine Sköna Hem. Ekström's furniture have been exhibited in Amsterdam, Vienna, Berlin, Paris, Munich and Belgrade, to name a few places, and are represented in many modern permanent collections, including the Victoria & Albert Museum, London and Nationalmuseum, Stockholm.

Swedish furniture manufacturer Swedese is best known for its Scandinavian midcentury modern furniture designed by Yngve Ekström. The brand’s vintage designs—characterized by simplicity, minimalism, and functionality— are highly sought after by collectors today. Standout Swedese designs include the Lamino Chair (1956) and Circle Chair (1958) by Yngve Ekström.

Brothers Yngve (1913-1988) and Jerker Ekström (1911-2006) founded ESE Furniture together with Sven Bertil Sjöqvist in 1945. The company first gained recognition with the highly functional and efficiently designed Thema Chair (1952), the qualities of which would later characterize the company’s comprehensive production range. Renamed Swedese Möbler AB after Sjöqvist left fifteen years later, the company was eventually sold in 1974 but remained under Yngve Ekström’s supervision until his passing in 1988.

After 1988, Alf Johansson took over management of Swedese. His visionary thinking included the addition of comfortable, upholstered seating to the existing range of furniture. With headquarters located in Vaggeryd in Småland, Sweden, and another factory located in the small village of Äng, the company is today led by Ana Johannsen.