The first variant of Arcus was created when I was still studying at Konstfack. I worked with a series of candlesticks, where I wanted to capture the lightness and spaciousness of the light already in the candlestick. Instead of letting the candlesticks be heavy and compact, they formed airy constructions in the room. This in a material that obviously cannot be shaped like that. When the school in collaboration with the Church of Sweden organized an exhibition in 1991, I selected a variant that was exhibited. The first Arcus… 

The exhibition was visited by Tom Hedqvist, which led to me receiving a request if the candlestick could be part of the Element Design design collection. As we did not see a solution for ceramic series production, it was then produced in cast iron in three sizes. At the same time, I started working as a designer at Rörstrand, and started there an attempt to manufacture the smallest size ceramic. When it turned out to work, Arcus was included in the art department’s assortment at Rörstrand. 

Arcus means bow in Latin. The candlestick takes on both an architectural and sacral expression with its arcs shaped like vaults. The candle comes as an extension of the candlestick and together they form a formal whole. An important part is also the unglazed and thus very matte surface. With its way of reflecting light, it gives the object a subtle, poetic and immaterial character. 

At Rörstrand’s art department, Arcus was produced in two color schemes. Partly in a white uncoloured and partly in a colored gray stoneware mass. When the art department was shut down, production of Arcus disappeared for a time. After a few years, my husband and I were able to resurrect Arcus in our own newly started ceramic workshop. It was among the first items included in our range under the name Studio Kinnekulle. Now we manufacture it continuously in vitro porcelain, where the crisp white color of the ware is obtained through the reducing firing in a gas oven. 

Today, development work is also underway to produce a ceramic variant of the floor candle holder, the largest size of Arcus.