Hugo Dines Schmidt, born 1965 1999 Aarhus School of Architecture 1997 Designit 2007 VE2 VE2 designed ANTO and NYE for Lampas. VE2 Hugo Dines Schmidt Together with Morten Lau- ritzen, Hugo owns and runs design studio VE2 in central Aarhus. Based in an old film factory, VE2 designs products with a focus on long-lasting solutions. How did you come to be a designer? I was born in Christiansfeld and grew up as part of the Brethren Church with its distinct and characteri- stic approach to aesthetics and craftsmanship. For generations, my family had run a tiled stove com- pany Christiansfelder Kakkelovne. The business had its own forge, where we children helped after school. As a result of that, combined with the fact that our father wasn’t afraid to delegate responsi- bility (and work), I became quite familiar with most tools and metalworking processes from an early age. One time I had to repair a lockcase on a Chris- tiansfelder door that was a few hundred years old. I was perhaps 15 at the time. When I disassem- bled the lockcase, I discovered that all the parts were ornately decorated. For instance, the nuts were filed so they resembled tiny flowers. There’s not some romantic story about me knowing in that instant what I wanted to do with my life. However, I do remember that lockcase, since that’s where I discovered what quality truly is. I was fascinated by the love and care that had gone into the details, even ones that no one could see. I became a pottery apprentice with the aim of ta- king over Christiansfelder Kakkelovne. As a craft it brought together form, function and production, but it also brought huge frustration with the de- sign limitations of pottery in terms of production. 7
Download PDF file