Caia Leifsdotter

Caia Leifsdotter is a Swedish artist living in Copenhagen whose body of work spans from furniture and interiors to bespoke sculptural artwork — always with a preference for pieces that transcend categorisation.

Her creative approach never fails to take the historical and architectural framework into consideration, but Caia’s speciality is creating balanced spaces through high contrast — juxtaposing traditional interiors with contemporary flair, or vice versa.

She grew up on the west coast of Sweden, as part of a long lineage of creators and artists. “My grandma was a painter and my father is an interior architect, who comes from five generations of furniture makers — so I’ve been by the carpenter’s bench since I was a small kid. I had dreams of being a glass blower and then an artist. When my friends went shopping for clothes, I went to flea markets and antique stores; my primary interest was always in redecorating my room.”

“Having the material in my hands is a little bit like therapy.”

Before starting a new project, Caia must ascertain a clear vision of the piece. Gesturing to a wall in her workspace full of sketches, overlaid with transparent paper and notes, she explains; “My process sometimes begins with a passing thought, but I draw a lot. Usually there are ten thousand small sketches for one idea.”

As a result of a life spent taking a practical approach to creation, Caia strives for a good understanding of the material — an aspect which is particularly important to her. “I like to work with my hands; not only sketching shapes until it makes sense, but feeling and trying out the materials. Having it in my hands is a little bit like therapy.”

Natural materials feature heavily her interiors projects which are all locally made and hand crafted. “As much as possible, it’s real stone, massive steel and pure oak — not the veneers. Because these are things which become more beautiful as you use it. After growing up surrounded by huge Swedish Forests, I have a great fascination for natural materials — despite also enjoying working with plastic fantastic for the mirrors.”

Caia’s mesmerising Psychedelic Mirrors are some of her most recognisable pieces. While minimalist in design, they capture the magic of acrylic by highlighting its uncontrollable reflections. The mirrors provide a new dimension to any space they occupy through their changeable, watery perspectives.

“The concept came to me while I was still very young. I took my mum’s old vinyl records and melted them to make sculptures. And the mirrors are made in a similar way. It’s a very delicate process to keep the shine without creating wrinkles. In the beginning, like everything I do, there were a lot of disasters — but it turned out beautifully.”

“With the mirrors in the beginning, like everything I do, there were a lot of disasters — but it turned out beautifully.”

Her bespoke pieces err towards the ‘bombastic’, as she puts it, ‘leaning towards what some might consider kitsch’. However, they unanimously convey a unique personality, which has taken the client’s space into account. “I like to create the unexpected; pieces that are a bit too much. The idea for the mirrors returned to me as an adult because an interior client requested a large piece for his home in a conserved building, which had restrictions. So I suggested this very modern looking artwork as a juxtaposition to the feel of the room.”

Her high-contrast designs enhance the natural character of a space while also creating a unique atmosphere. “Everything I do is with respect to the architectural framework it sits within — but I really like balance, so I will often juxtapose shiny mirrors and steel with natural stone, warm wood, and textiles. I was recently commissioned to design a kitchen, which sits in a typical mid-century villa. So I made a super contemporary, very minimalist kitchen of steel as a contrast to the high wood panels and mid-century feel.”

“Everything I do is with respect to the architectural framework it sits within — but I really like balance, so I will often juxtapose shiny mirrors and steel with natural stone, warm wood, and textiles.”

Caia’s Scandinavian heritage is reflected in her minimalistic shapes which strive to embody both functionality and aesthetic; “It’s impossible to say whether function or form comes first — it’s a chicken and egg scenario for me. But I aim for them to come together at a higher stage. When it comes to products and how they’re used, I’m very aware of functionality. But they also, of course, have to be very beautiful.”