Peter Opsvik – Industrial designer, artist and musician

“As a designer he displays great versatility: apart from the child’s chair Tripp Trapp, Opsvik is known as the foremost designer behind the Balans principle.

He is one of the world’s leading designers of work chairs; as an innovative practitioner attempting to find dynamic solutions for working situations that involve extended sitting.

He is unsurpassed; he is actively committed to the environment in a way that manifests itself in more than just words; and he produces aesthetic pieces of furniture that exhibit both poetic and musical qualities.

The fact that he is also an active jazz musician contributes to painting a picture of a person with a playful approach to life and design work.”

– Lars Elton, Norwegian journalist and critic

What is good design for you Peter Opsvik?
Short introduction. Norwegian Design Council, 2013. (language: norwegian)

Peter Opsvik – CV

Download CV as pdf file in Norwegian or English

Peter Opsvik
Stranda, Norway, 1939-2024

  • 1959–63, Bergen College of Applied Art
  • 1963–64, State College of Applied Art, Oslo
  • 1965–70, Industrial Designer, Tandberg Radio Factory, Oslo
  • 1967, The Norwegian Credit Bank, Scholarship for Designers, stay at London Studio
  • 1969, The Norwegian Design Centre’s Design Scholarship, visiting students at
    Volkvangschule für Gestaltung, Essen, Germany, spring term 1970
  • 1970, Freelance Industrial Designer/ Furniture Designer
  • 1971, Furniture producers’ design scholarship, State Institute of Technology
  • 1984, Peter Opsvik, Studio in Asker, Norway
  • 1992, Peter Opsvik AS, Studio moves to Oslo, Norway

Awards

  • 2024, IDC Honorary Award, Ålesund, Norway
  • 2022, Compasso d’Oro International Career Award, Milano
  • 2018, Håg Capisco is the Norwegian winner in the Nordic Design Competition
  • 2017, Peter Opsvik has been made honorary PhDs at the University of Bergen
  • 2015, Green Product Award, Citrus Concept
  • 2014, Red Dot best of best, Nomi chair
  • 2012, Peter Opsvik is awarded the “The Jacob Award”, Norway
  • 2010, Håg Capisco Puls receives the international prestigious iF Product Design Award
  • 2010, Håg Capisco receives The Red Dot award
  • 2010, Bo Bedre Design Award in the category ”green design” for Håg Capisco Puls
  • 2009, Bo Bedre Design Award, The Audience Award, The Tripp Trapp, Norway
  • 2009, Award for Design Excellence , The Penguin chair, Norway
  • 2008, Anders Jahre’s cultural award, Norway
  • 2007, The Nordic Design Award “Nordiska Designpriset”, The Viola chair
  • 2006, The “Most Innovative Product” award, NeoCon Chicago, Håg Conventio Wing
  • 2003, The “Classic Design Award“, Norwegian Design Council, The HÅG balans chair
  • 2002, The “Most Innovative Product” award, NeoCon Chicago, Håg H05
    Communication
  • 2001, The “Classic Design Award“, Norwegian Design Council, , The Capisco chair
  • 2000, Torsten & Wanjas Söderbergs Nordic Design prize, Sweden, for his
    pioneering, movable and variable furniture
  • 1996, The "Classic Design Award", Norwegian Design Council, The Tripp Trapp chair
  • 1989, The “Furniture of the Year”, Norway, The Balans Oposit chair
  • 1986, The “Jacob-prize”, Norway, Different Balans chairs
  • 1986, The “Innovation prize”, Norway, Garden chair
  • 1985, The “Nor-In” prize, Norway, Cylindra cabinets, chairs and tables
  • 1983, The “Furniture of the Year” prize, Norway, The Balans Wing chair
  • 1981, The “Nor-In” prize, Norway
  • 1971, Gold medal, Exempla, Munich. Exhibition architect, Scandinavian department

Exhibitions

Separate Exhibitions, Furniture / Objects / Art objects:

  • 2024, Norway, STANDARD (OSLO), Peter Opsvik
  • 2014, Norway, Trafo Kunsthall, Asker, "skap"
  • 2003, Germany, World of Living, WeberHaus, Linx, ”Movement – Peter Opsvik”
  • 2002, Germany, Deutsches Museum, Munich, “Movement – Peter Opsvik”
  • 2000, Norway, The Norwegian Centre for Design and Architecture, Oslo, “Frequencies”
  • 2000, Sweden, The Röhsska Museum for Applied Art and Design, Gothenburg, “Movement – Peter Opsvik”
  • 2000, Scotland, The Lighthouse, Glasgow, “Movement – Peter Opsvik”
  • 2000, England, The Designmuseum, London, “Movement – Peter Opsvik”
  • 1999, Belgium, Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, Gent, “Movement – Peter Opsvik”
  • 1996, Norway, West Norway Museum of Applied Art in Bergen, “Peter Opsvik - Open Doors”
  • 1991, Japan, “Design Week”, Matsuya, Tokyo
  • 1991, Germany, Ligna, Hannover
  • 1990, Italy, Monza, Milan, “Interior and Design”
  • 1990, Germany, Kunstlerhaus (Artisthouse) mit Galerie, Gottingen
  • 1990, Germany, Wohnstudio Steinkamp, Hamburg
  • 1990, France, Gallerie V.I.A, Paris
  • 1989, Italy, Arredaesse-Via Monte Napoleone, Milan
  • 1988, Germany, Boating -88, Düsseldorf
  • 1987, Zwitzerland, Zingg-Lambrecht, Zürich, Cylindrical Objects
  • 1987, Germany, Kafe Kranzler, West Berlin, Cylindrical Objects
  • 1986, Norway, Applied Art Museum in Oslo, “Dimensions in Wood - Sculpture or Furniture”?
  • 1985, Norway, Galleri Vognremissen, Oslo, “Sit standing up”

Collective Exhibitions, Furniture / Industrial design:

  • 2013, Sweden, “Nordic Design Today”, Vandalorum Museum
  • 2013, England, 100% design, London
  • 2012, USA, “Century of the Child: Growing by Design 1900-2000”, MoMA, New York
  • 2011, England, 100% design, London, 2013
  • 2009-2011, Norway, South Korea, Helsinki, “Please take a seat”, West Norway Museum of Decorative Art Bergen, National Museum of Art Oslo, Seoul, Habitare Helsinki
  • 2010, England, Norwegian Prototypes – Blackhall Gallery, London
  • 2008, England, 100% design, London
  • 2005, Japan, “InsideNorway”, Tokyo
  • 2005, Japan, “Breaking the norms of sitting”, The World Exposition
  • 2003, Norway, “Design tur/retur”, The Norwegian Centre for Design and Architecture
  • 2001, Norway, “Inspired Design”, The Oslo Museum of Applied Art
  • 2000, Norway, “Form 2000”
  • 2000, England, “Design: Process, Progress, Practice”, Design Museum, London
  • 199-2001, “Kid size”, various countries
  • 1998, USA, “Sofa - Sculptur Objects Functional Art”, Chicago
  • 1998, Norway, “Børs og Kaviar”, Lillehammer
  • 1998, Norway, Japan, Germany, Norway, “Waves - Norwegian Furniture Design”, Oslo, Tokyo, Vreden, Essen
  • 1997, Sweden, “Design Nordic Way”, Kalmar Castle
  • 1997, Sweden, “International Nordic Touch in Form & Design”, Kalmar Art Museum
  • 1996, Scotland, “Cylindra”, Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland, Edinburgh
  • 1995, Japan, Design from Norway, Tokyo
  • 1992, England, “Ethics and aesthetics: Design Agencies of Scandinavia”, Design Museum, London
  • 1992, Germany, Euro Park, Germany
  • 1990, Norway, “Sitt i nitti”, Lillehammer
  • 1989, Finland, “Primaerpunkt”, Helsinki
  • 1987-88, Various countries, “Norwegian Wood”
  • 1987, Sweden, “Norway in Gothenburg”, Gothenburg
  • 1987, Japan, “Scandinavia Today”, Japan, 1987
  • 1986, England, “Chairytales from Norway”, London
  • 1985, Sweden, “Norwegian Design”, Stockholm
  • 1985, USA, Scandinavia Today”
  • 1984, Norway, “Interior Now”, Oslo, Trondheim
  • 1981, Austria/Vienna, Germany/Düsseldorf, The Netherlands/Den Haag, “Balans”
  • 1982, USA/New York, Houston, Chicago and Japan/Tokyo, “Balans”
  • 1982, USA, “Scandinavian Modern”, Cooper Hewitt Museum, New York
  • 1979, Denmark, Copenhagen and England, London, “Balans”

Exhibitions

  • 2023, Norway, Standard (Oslo), "Myth of the Cherry Tree"
  • 1967, “Norwegian State Autumn Exhibition” (Høstutstillingen, Oslo)
  • 1966–67, “Western Norway Exhibition”

Exhibited / Permanent collection

  • The National Museum, Norway, at display, Variable™, Tripp Trapp (scale model), Playwood, 2021
  • The National Museum, Norway, permanent collection, 15 objects
  • Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Tripp Trapp, 2016
  • Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Tripp Trapp, 2013
  • Moma, New York, Tripp Trapp, 2011
  • Design Museum, London, Tripp Trapp, 2011, Duo
  • The Stewart Collection, Stewart Pavilion at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Variable™, 2009
  • The Röhsska Museum, Gothenburg Variable™, 2002
  • Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Gravity™, Sitti, Håg Conventio, 1999
  • Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Köln, Variable™, 1997
  • Vestlandske Kunstindustrimuseum, Bergen, Tripp Trapp

Publications:

"Rethinking Sitting" by Peter Opsvik.
Via texts and examples drawn from a profuse production, the reader will gain insight into Opsvik's thinking on the subject of sitting and his furniture designs.

  • 2008, Published in English and German by Gaidaros
  • 2009, Published in English by WWNorton
  • 2009, Published in Japanese by Sunchoh Shuppan
  • 2017, Reprinted, English by Gaidaros
  • 2022, Reprinted, English by Peter Opsvik AS

Jazz-musician:

  • 1972- Member of Christiania Jazz Band
  • 1993- Member of Christiania 12
  • - Playing at jazz festivals in Europe and USA
  • 1973- Released 10 CD’s
  • 1999, Peter Opsvik “WOODWORK”, free jazz
  • 2010, Aage Lade og Peter Opsvik "Ballads by Jimmy Van Heusen"

Portraits / photos