Maria Berntsen
Københav, Dänemark

The sculptural is important to me, says Danish designer Maria Berntsen (born 1961), who enjoys working with three dimensional objects because they always deliver new views from new angles. As a graduate from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Architecture, she belongs to the Nordic tradition of fine lines and thought through functionality. Working with Danish design brands like Georg Jensen and Holmegaard, she underlines her relationship with the design tradition that goes back to designers like Henning Koppel, one of her sources of inspiration. Her hangers for &tradition, being her first product ever and today a design classic, truly embrace the essence of form and function in it's simplicity and quality of material.

Education:
Vedic Art Paintcourse by Eva Bergmann2010
Civil Economist 1985.
The Acedemy of fine arts School of Architectue 1987-1990
L'Ecole d'architecture de Bordeaux 1991-92.

Other activites:
Startet the Company Coorporation Yakkay
Design consultant for Broste Copenhagen A/S
Jurymember for Time to Design Talent Award 2008The National Workshop For Arts And Crafts
Consultant of the arts, crafts and design selection committee for Copenhagen 96 Cultural Capital of Europe. 1994-96.
Design consulting to Open City 96. 1995-96.
Design consultant to KB 96 merchandise programme. 1995.
Exhibition co-ordinat for design disciplines, Art Genda. 1995-96.
Teacher at The Danish Design School. 1998-00.

Award.
IF award 2009 for Yakkay bycicle helmet
Eurobike 2009 for Yakkay bycicle helmet
Focus Open Gold for Yakkay bycicle helmet
Reddot design for Yakkay bycicle helmet
Reddot design award, winner 2003 for Quack Thermo jug, Georg Jensen A/S.
Formland price award 2003 for Quack Thermo jug, Georg Jensen A/S.