Johanna Grawunder

BIOGRAPHY MUSEUM REFERENCES INFORMATION

Johanna Grawunder was born in 1961 in San Diego. Grawunder is a designer and architect based in Milan and San Francisco with a team of craftspeople in northern Italy. She is known for her monumental light installations. In addition to light installations, her practice includes minimalistic architecture and interiors, limited edition furniture design, and mass-produced pieces. Rather than being composed of light bulbs, Grawunder’s chandeliers are made from fluorescent tubing.

Her modernist designs pair with the resulting simple production and energy efficiency to redefine luxury in the present age by highlighting the fact that there is no greater luxury than for life, art, and the planet to continue to exist. Indeed, Grawunder’s aim is to create heirlooms; works with longevity in a disposable era. To this end, she employs thoughtful and skilled craftsmanship methods.

Grawunder often uses energy efficient mass production techniques and materials, such as polished stainless steel, steel cables, painted metal, and her signature colored acrylic. Through light, shape, and color she reveals the beauty of these basic materials. Grawunder’s light installations are permanently on exhibit in the 7^th floor restaurant of the Museum of Arts and Design in New York.

Literature

2009
/ M. Vignal, ‘Femmes Designers’, Geneva: Aubanel.
/ S. Lowell, ‘Limited Edition’, Basel: Birkhauser Verlag AG.

2007
/ M.L. Jousset, ‘Johanna Grawunder Foreign Policy’. Paris : La Galerie Italienne.
/ S.Yelavich. Contemporary World Interiors. New York : Phaidon
/ Cocinas Diafanas. Barcelona : Loft Publications

2005
/ C. Broto, ‘New Domestic Interiors’, Barcelona: Structure
/ Lacagnina, Ma non al sud. Milano : Silvana Editoriale
/ Y. Futagawa. GA HOUSE Project 2005 no.86. Tokyo : A.D.A EDITA Tokyo Co. Ltd
/ A. Guerriero, Dressing Ousselves. Milan : Edizioni Charta
/ J.M. Stahl, Dish. New York : Princeton Architectural Press

2004
/ W. Xu. EU Make. Bejing : China-Building
/ S. San Pietro, Urban Interiors 4. Milan : Edizioni Archivolto
/ Word Atlas of Contemporary Architecture London : Phaidon Press

2003
/ S. San Pietro, et al.New Offices in Italy. Milan : Archivolto

2002
/ M. Rendel and R. Spitz, ‘Expanding the Gap’, Stuttgard/London: Edition Axel Menges
/ E. Terragni, Spoon. London : Phaidon Press Limited

2001
/ Michele De Lucchi, Jennifer Hudson and Jeremy Myerson ‘International Design Yearbook2001’, London: King Publishing
/ W. Xu, Johanna Grawunder. Bejing : China Youth Press
/ M. Rendel, R. Spitz. Daring the Gap. Colgne : Edition Axel Menges
/ Y. Futagawa, GA HOUSES 68. Tokyo : A.D.A EDITA Tokyo Co. Ltd.

2000
/ Marco Romanelli, Il vetro progettato: architetti e designer a confronto con il vetro quotidiano’,Firenze: Electa
/ Alberto Bassi, ‘Italian Lighting Design 1945-2000’, London : Phaidon

1999
/ M. Carboni, Sottsass Associati / Flammenti. New York : Universe Publishing

1995
/ J. Grawunder, Barcode. Ravenna : Futurarium School of Architecture and Design

DOWNLOAD INFO

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), San Francisco

High Museum of Art, Atlanta

ArtInstitute, Chicago

Centre National des Arts Plastiques (CNAP), Paris

High Instituto Culturale Italiano, Prague

Museum of Contemporary Art, Montevirgini

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Los Angeles

Guan Shan-Yue Art Museum, Shenzhen

Museo Correr, Venice