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Inspiration / Ambassadors / Behind the scenes with Vang Stensgaard
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Behind the scenes with Vang Stensgaard

Photo: Birgitta Wolfgang

“WE ARE FASCINATED BY NATURE AND PASSIONATE ABOUT TELLLING ITS STORIES”

In a studio located in the heart of Copenhagen, nestled in a historic building over the rooftops, Vang Stensgaard create their magnificent costumes, stage set designs and textiles. Join us on a visit to the artist duo’s studio. And step into a wondrous narrative, where textiles with hand-drawn fairy-tale motifs play the leading role. Discover which curtain rods from Stilling, Vang Stensgaard have staged as carriers of their unique curtain fabrics.

Portrait of Anja Vang Kragh & Mia Stensgaard / Photo: Birgitta Wolfgang

Et væld af silkefine tekstiler med håndmalede motiver hænger i på Stillings HORISONT gardinskinner hos Vang Stensgaard.

FABRIC FABLES

A plethora of fabrics with flying birds, nodding flowers and whimsical figures flow from walls, ceilings and windows. They offer a warm welcome to haute-couturiste and costume designer Anja Krag Vang, and set and production designer Mia Stensgaard’s studio.

For many years, the two artists, both knights of the Royal Order of the Dannebrog, have brought forth marvelous works for film, ballet, and opera stages across the globe. However, it’s not just the grand cultural productions that benefit from Vang Stensgaard’s craftsmanship; they also design interior textiles for private homes, offices, and public spaces.

“We have known each other for 30 years, but it was only in 2018 that we decided on a formal collaboration. Vang Stensgaard arose out of our shared longing to create in other formats than the performing arts and the film medium. As well as from a desire to transfer the great narratives and poetic aspects from the grand stages to more intimate situations and spaces, such as private homes.

We wanted to create our own universe with colourful and expressive textiles for interiors, with inspiration from our work with performing arts and film”, says Anja and Mia.

The latest textile collection from the duo is called “Sylfiden”, and is adapted from their scenography for the famous ballet The Sylph, performed at The Royal Theatre of Denmark

Vang Stengaard "Sylfiden" stofpaneler hænger på en speciallakeret karminrød Stilling gardinskinne i duoens kreative kontor på Vesterbro.

HS 2000 / Caput Mortuum (NCS S 6030-R20B)

En serie af "Sylfiden" silkefine tekstiler fra Vang Stengaard hænger i fra lofterne i tårnet på Vesterbro.

Vang Stensgaard curtain textile “Sylfiden”

CREATIVE INSTALLATIONS

The studio is filled with natural light and has an inviting, relaxed atmosphere. Here, the soft materials and the saturated colour palette enhance the feeling of calm and creativity. ⁠ In the long corridor that leads the visitor into the studio itself, the sunlight from the small windows is filtered through a range of colours and magnificent motifs on curtains, which are gracefully carried by ceiling mounted curtain tracks.

For the slanted windows, Vang Stensgaard have chosen to use two HS 2000 Prestige deco tracks in warm, burnished brass in a slightly unconventional way: On one track, the curtains are mounted from the ceiling, while the other track is placed under the lower edge of the window as a beautiful centerpiece, pinning the fabric against the wall.

HS 2000 FUSION / Burnished brass

SUPERB CRAFTSMANSHIP

The entire studio bears witness to Vang Stensgaard’s large creative portfolio and is filled with memorabilia from the duo’s many achievements. Productions, which are based on good, old craftsmanship techniques, embellished with modern creative processes:

“All our creations are designed by hand. We create interior textiles which are printed from ink-painted, hand-drawn collaged motives that are vividly layered to create a richly unique whole.

We work with a visual ‘call-and-response’ method that encourages playful experiments and stylistic interaction. You could say that we create fabric fables, stories that flow from our imaginations to our drafting tables, and finally to your private home”.

Det kreative værksted hos Vang Stensgaard rummer alle deres kreative discipliner.
Ruller med tekstiler ligger henslængt på en daybed i et univers af stoflighed.

FASCINATED BY NATURE

Many of the duo’s silky, sheer textiles are adorned with hand-painted designs of colourful petals, exotic flowers and flying birds. The motifs are carefully composed of elements from Vang Stensgaard’s fabulous universe, which is undoubtedly influenced by their years of work in the performing arts.

“We are fascinated by nature and passionate about telling its stories. And we are inspired by how our essences complement each other to create a new expression.”

Nature and its floral motifs are not new to the duo either: Anja is the artist behind Royal Copenhagen’s popular Flora porcelain collection, while Mia has created the scenography for classical ballet performances such as Swan Lake and The Sylph.

Nærbillede af en speciallakeret HORISONT skinne fra Stilling i farven "Powder".

HS 2000 / Powder (NCS S 0907-Y50R)

Papirklip hænger på væggen hos Vang Stensgaard
Det rodede kontor i tårnet på Vesterbro danner rammerne for kunstnerduoen Vang Stensgaard.

CURTAINS AND TAPESTRIES

Textile panels with various patterns and scenes adorn the large studio windows, offering a bird’s-eye view of the city. The curtains are supported by several custom lacquered HS 2000 deco rods in a dark crimson red, which run along the entire ceiling and allow the scenes on the textile panels to unfold fully or in part.

Another HS 2000 rod, custom lacquered in the colour Powder, displays samples of some of the duo’s many textiles. Our burnished brass rod holds their tapestry, called “The Host.” This tapestry first appeared at last year’s Christmas table exhibition at the Royal Copenhagen showroom. Here, Vang Stensgaard created a critically acclaimed “Christmas cabin” to showcase their table decoration.

En håndmalet gobelin hænger på en bruneret messing skinne fra Stilling

Vang Stensgaard tapestry “The Host”

Nærbillede af Stillings eksklusive HORISONT dekostang i børstet bruneret messing.

HS 2000 FUSION / Burnished brass

IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS

Vang Steensgaard belongs to a growing group of artists, designers and architects who place greater emphasis on the use of curtain rods to create a more creative and unique look:

“Textiles, textures and lighting have always been essential tools for both of us in our work with stages, spaces and clothing, as we focus on every meticulous detail. One such detail is the choice of rod to carry the fabric. In our studio, we create textiles and test them in different rooms, with varying light and combined with different types of curtain rods.

For us, the choice of curtain track or rod is important, and we appreciate the uniqueness that a crimson red curtain rod, for example, can add,” says Mia and Anja.

When you choose curtains from Vang Steensgaard, you not only get perfect sun shading, but also decorative textile works of art that bring an ambiance of fairy tales and natural wonders into your home. Moreover, you get expert advice on choosing the perfect curtain rod or track, whether the exquisite textile panels are to be installed as curtains, room dividers or tapestries.

 

Portræt af Anja Vang Kragh
Portræt af Mia Stensgaard

ANJA VANG KRAGH

Anja Vang Kragh (b. 1970) has a master’s degree in clothing design and for many years designed for John Galliano/Christian Dior and Stella McCartney. She has since worked as a costume designer and scenographer in Denmark and abroad. Designer of the Flora porcelain collection from Royal Copenhagen.

MIA STENSGAARD

Mia Stensgaard (b. 1972) has an education as scenographer from the Danish School of Performing Arts and she has created the scenography and costumes for a large number of international ballet, opera and theater performances, as well as for film and TV productions, e.g. “Arvingerne” and “Adams Æbler”.

Bordeauxrøde tekstiler fra Vang Stensgaard danser henover gulvet.