Odgaard explores how the sensory perception

of colour and material can open up emotional

resonance and tender communication. Each

work consists of colour fields placed opposite

one another and framed by a gradient. The gra-

dient creates a fluid space that forms resonance

between the colours, highlighting how meaning

is always in motion.

The title refers to the character Ophelia from

Shakespeare’s Hamlet, who abandons spo-

ken language as a carrier of meaning and in-

stead uses flowers as symbols of feelings and

thoughts. The textile works take their starting

point from this movement away from language,

inviting the viewer into a sensory space where

meaning is felt rather than thought.

Each piece is composed of multiple layers of

transparent silk organza, printed in different col-

ours and mounted on solid, brushed oak panels.

When the silk layers overlap, an optical blending

of colours occurs which, together with the wo-

ven structure of the organza, produces a gentle

moiré effect. The fragility of the organza adds a

softness that intensifies the emotional experi-

ence of the colours, while the brushed grain of

the oak anchors the ethereal textiles in some-

thing physical and enduring.

Folds are a central element in Odgaard’s artistic

exploration of textiles as material. Two-dimension-

al surfaces are often folded when stored, leaving

shadows and traces that testify to their function.

The fold lines in these works are inspired by let-

ters from the Renaissance, when it was common

to fold and seal a letter so that it served as its own

envelope. The unfolded letter carries traces of the

folded, and the tension between the closed and

the open serves as a metaphor for how humans

navigate between intimacy and distance.

The works Ophelia insist on the deep human

need for emotional and sensory affirmation, al-

lowing one to feel connected with oneself and

others through an affirmation that does not seek

answers, but opens up recognition.

Margrethe Odgaard’s works are represented in nu-

merous museum collections, such as the Coop-

er Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum (United

States); Designmuseum Danmark; Röhsska De-

sign Museum (Sweden); Designmuseo Helsinki

(Finland) and Trapholt Museum of Modern Art

(Denmark). Several solo exhibitions have been

dedicated to her including the Willumsens Mu-

seum (Denmark); Röhsska Museum (Sweden);

Designmuseo Helsinki (Finland), Munkeruphus

(Denmark) and Galerie Maria Wettergren (Par-

is). The artist has received various prestigious

awards, including two Wallpaper Awards (Best

Use of Color, 2020 and Green Product of the

Year, Re-wool for Kvadrat, 2019); Designer of

the Year / Design Awards of Danish Interior Mag-

azines, 2019; Ole Haslunds Arts Foundation

Prize, 2018; Torsten & Wanja Söderberg Prize

2016, and lately Albertsen Foundation’s Honor-

ary Award, 2022; The Art, Design, and Architec-

ture Prize 2023 from Einar Hansen’s Foundation,

and the 2024 Prize of Honor of The Anne Marie

Telmányi and Carl Nielsens Foundation.