Josephine Akvama Hoffmeyer of File Under Pop, a long-time collaborator of Muuto, sees colour as the essence of expression. Here, she muses on how it can help transform a space into an emotional landscape, creating interiors that feel genuinely attuned to the user.
Neuroaesthetics is about mind-body connection: a scientific discipline that explores and measures how creative expression makes an impact on us. Colour deeply affects our mood in a space, helping us feel relaxed or energised.
'Colours speak to me deeply, not merely as a visual layer, but as a language of emotions. Exploring colours is delving into the essence of expression. It's about understanding the psychology behind each shade, how it resonates with different individuals, and how it can transform a space into an emotional landscape,' she says.
She is also a long-time collaborator and part of the jury for Muuto's Design Contest, launching in June. In her work, you will find that colour and material is not just about aesthetics, it is a tool for storytelling, enabling us to create atmosphere, evoke memories and shape perceptions of a space or object.
Akvama Hoffmeyer finds that her approach to creating colours, materials, surfaces, and objects is an emotional and philosophical endeavour, allowing her to delve into the dualities we all have within us—the need for light and darkness, calm and energy, to shout and whisper. Born to a Ghanaian father and a Danish mother, growing up in Denmark, she has a keen desire to find harmony in her work, to unite and reconcile.
'I'm inspired by all the things outside of me—art, music, travel, nature, architecture. Artists and people, with all their differences, and ways of living and working, inspire me greatly,' she tells. The work of Ghanaian and Nigeria-based artist El Anatsui is currently on her mind, having just seen his textile work made of bottle caps, with their metallic, silver and gold tones. Combined with powerful hues, it weaves together material, colours and content. The work shows how we can find meaning and beauty in the mundane parts of life, in the things that we think of as scraps.
'When working with colour, I see it as more than just a visual element; it's a means of communication. It's about finding the right tone to convey a message, to evoke an emotion, or to establish a connection with the viewer,' she says. She compares it to music, her other great love in life.
'Colour, to me, is like a symphony where each hue plays a unique note, contributing to the harmony of the composition. Whether it's the calming blues of a serene landscape or the fiery reds of passion, each colour carries its own melody.'
More information:
Muuto
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