Johan Ejdemo and Bella Rune, new members of the Beckman Board

"Design education on an artistic basis and industry-related collaborations are what characterize Beckmans. With Bella Rune and Johan Ejdemo as new board members, we are highlighting both tradition, renewal but also an understanding of artists' and designers' conditions and processes. Feels great," says Karina Ericsson Wärn, Vice-Chancellor at Beckman College of Design. 

About Johan Ejdemo

IKEA Global Design Manager Johan Ejdemo has over 30 years of experience in design and product development. In 1989, Ejdemo began his career as a cabinetmaker and then as a freelance designer. Since the start of IKEA in 1999, Johan Ejdemo has held several creative positions within the company. In his current role, he strives to, among other things, strengthen IKEA's identity and promote circular design thinking. 

"Imagine what an exciting and important time for design! And imagine being a design student today with so many important issues to influence and new opportunities to explore. Imagine having the privilege of helping, giving back, sharing and perhaps being a small cog in shaping the conditions for future steps in Swedish design and perhaps, if it turns out well, future life's work. OK, I'm taking it from my toes but I'm really passionate about young talents.

To be asked to be part of the board of perhaps one of the most important design schools, in one of the most progressive places right now, where new unique conditions for design studies are created, feels very exciting. It is with great humility, curiosity and responsibility that I step on the assignment. Honoured to be entrusted with being part of shaping the conditions going forward," says Johan Ejdemo. 

About Bella Rune

Bella Rune is an active artist in Stockholm and is represented by Galleri Magnus Karlsson. Rune is educated at Beckman College of Design from 1992 to 1994 and Chelsea College of Arts in London from 1995 to 1998. In addition to being a professional artist, Rune is a professor of Art with a textile focus and was a professor at Konstfack 2012-2021 where she was involved in creating the new master's program CRAFT. Educational work is an important part of her artistry. 

Rune works both sculpturally and laboratively with different materials and techniques in an elastic practice where handmade and digital technology often interact. Textiles recur in her work, as metaphor, technique, material and as a lens through which to investigate human history and the future. At the art fair Market in Stockholm in 2022, her installation "Vertical Network Performance", a series of mobile sculptures in mohair yarn, attracted a lot of attention. Rune is interested in how new digital media (Augmented Reality) can be used to connect a physical reality with a virtual world. One example is the Impact Assessment app, which is permanently installed at the Stockholm School of Economics and has been included in several exhibitions internationally.

"Thinking is a way of thinking. To do something else," says Bella Rune.

Other members of Beckmans' Board of Directors

Leif Sorte, CEO Forsman & Bodenfors, Chairman of the Board
Bella Funck, entrepreneur
Anna Norling, Head of Design, Weekday
Oskar Pernefeldt, Creative director Oatly
Maria Veerasamy, CEO of Svenskt Tenn

Employee:
Pär Engsheden, Senior Lecturer and Head of Division of Fashion

Adjunct:
Karina Ericsson Wärn, Principal Beckman College of Design, CEO Beckmans Skola AB, CEO Beckmans Akademi AB.