For a quarter of a century, the Torsten and Wanja Söderberg Prize in Design and Crafts has recognized innovative and outstanding achievements in design and crafts in the Nordic region. The prize was established to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of the foundation’s donor, Torsten Söderberg, and has been awarded by the Röhsska Museum on 25 occasions.

“The Torsten and Wanja Söderberg Prize has been an outstanding driving force in the effort to highlight Nordic designers for the past 25 years. For individual recipients, it has opened up an invaluable opportunity to develop their practice. For the Röhsska Museum, the prize has played a pivotal role in its evolution into a leading hub for design and crafts. “Engaging with the award winners has both opened up the conversation about design with the public and strengthened the museum’s collections. The collaboration with the Nordic museums of decorative arts in the jury process has also created a network that has contributed to new insights,”saysNina Due, director of the Röhsska Museum.

The driving force behind the award, Tomas Söderberg—longtime chairman of the Torsten Söderberg Foundation and one of the three sons of Torsten and Wanja Söderberg—passed away in early 2019. Tomas Söderberg was deeply involved in the creation of the award, the selection committee, and the practical work surrounding the award, and his spirit left a strong mark on the award. In light of Tomas Söderberg’s passing, the foundation has decided that the 2018 Torsten and Wanja Söderberg Award for Design and Crafts was the last to be presented.

“There is no doubt that Torsten and Wanja Söderberg’s award will be missed, but the Röhsska Museum will, of course, continue to highlight Nordic design. The strong partnership between the Torsten Söderberg Foundation and the Röhsska Museum will continue, including through research projects supported by the foundation,” says Nina Due.

2018 winner Brynjar Sigurðarson and his work are on display at the Röhsska Museum until May 19, 2019. Previous winners include Mats Theselius (Sweden), Peter Opsvik (Norway), Steinunn Sigurðardóttir (Iceland), Harri Koskinen (Finland), Ann-Sofie Back (Sweden), Henrik Vibskov (Denmark), Margrethe Odegaard (Denmark) and Daniel Rybakken (Norway).