Cecilie Manz
The Danish designer Cecilie Manz
The world of design opened up for Cecilie Manz early on. In the workshop of her two artist parents, she came into contact with it in her early childhood. She took her own career into her own hands in 1992 and completed an academic education at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. Cecilie Manz started her own business after a semester abroad at the University of Design and Art in Helsinki. Since then, this company has been the focus of her work.
Design that is created in a classic way
The world of the designer is determined by the love of art. When Cecilie Manz gives names to her creations, it is usually a tribute to the creative people she cares about. Cecilie Manz cultivates a classical, in a positive sense old-fashioned way of working. In her studio in Copenhagen she always works alone, makes paper drawings in the Keller workshop and carries out the design.
Cecilie Manz sees all her work as part of a large, ongoing story in which the projects are often related or connected in terms of aesthetics, materials, her ideas, across function and time.
The designer's career has been shaped by her focus on combining Scandinavian simplicity and tradition with an international, modern expression. Cecilie Manz has proven that she succeeds in this in numerous designs, including lamps, home accessories, ceramics and furniture design.
"Form follows function" is the philosophy and every design is imbued with a calm beauty. Despite their restraint, the designs present an artistic twist.
The sense for detail
The designer combines conceptualism with Danish preferences, such as durable materials and sublime craftsmanship. Cecilie Manz has developed lighting designs that do not steal the attention from the light and always put the function in the foreground. A deep sense of detail is evident in the Fritz Hansen lamp Mingus™, which is characterised by innovative and simple aesthetics.
Their design of the pendant luminaire Caravaggio™ achieved design icon status in a very short time. Since 2005, Caravaggio™ has been found in boutiques, offices and private homes around the world.
The characteristic aesthetics of her designs are visible in the designs she created for Fritz Hansen. Her creations include seating, lighting, storage, ceramics and illumination. These products are narrative, practical and made for everyday life.
The outstanding talent
Cecilie Manz is an award-winning designer and a master of minimalism. In her career, the designer has already received several renowned awards. These include the Finn-Juhl Architecture Prize 2007, the Berlin Art Prize 2008, the Bruno Mathsson Prize 2009 and the Thorvald-Bindesbøll Medal 2011. The Museum of Modern Art NY and the Design Museum Danmark have included the designer's designs in their permanent collection. This was followed in 2014 by the Cultural Prize of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess in Denmark.