Agneta tells the story of her timeless ceramics. Fit for modern life - organic, dishwasher proof as well as ovenable. You find them in the webshop at https://www.agnetalivijnshop.com/

"The joy of life is my driving force”

She is an international ceramic artist and designer whose art and product lines are admired and renowned all over Europe, Japan and the United States.

But who is Agneta Livijn, this passionate, inspirational woman who started in the media industry as a freelance illustrator and now has taken the art world by storm?

Already at an early age Agneta was certain of her future and in which direction life would take her. With a heart full of dreams and a determined mind, she entered Beckmans School of Design, and then continued further to do her studies in art and design in prestigious schools in both San Fransisco and France.

Her love for France is strong since her childhood. As teenager she spent a lot of time
in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, in the beautiful villa her father bought from Swedish famous actor Karl Gerhard. The beauty of the French culture influenced her art in many ways but especially her handmade striped Caffè latte cups, which have been a worldwide success for over 25 years!

Agneta’s love affair with ceramics began when she met her husband and started a family. And the timing could not have been more perfect. As she began to work with clay the demand for handmade ceramics was huge. Her technique of not turning the clay but kneading it instead and then building by her pieces of pottery was unique.

The company grew fast with customers like IKEA and Habitat and she sourced factories in Portugal and Italy. Her first handmade mugs was made for Wayne’s Coffee and an exclusive collection of cups was developed for the boutique Story Hotel in Stockholm, suitable for espressos, brûlée puddings or small appetisers.

One of her recent assignments was to design espresso cups in an honour of Elieen Gray. A prestigious collaboration with Cap Moderne which was initiated in 2019, where she designed cups with patterns from Eileen Gray’s beautiful rugs. The project was presented at a charity dinner with Prince Albert of Monaco as guest of honour at Villa E-1027.

This amazing sea front villa, which had been in hibernation for many years, was designed by Gray and Jean Badovivici in 1924. Eileen together with Le Corbusier who lived in a house on site created the side table of glass E-1027, among many other beautiful things. It seems more a ”meant to be” than a coincidence that the talented Agneta got involved in this lovely project.

What inspires you?
”I love the magic and energy that personal interactions creates, and I get so much inspiration from a beautifully arranged dinner party. Travelling and seeing the the world also gives me lots of inspiration, especially exotic places like the Maldives and Mauritius.”

What are your upcoming projects?
”My next project will be on the 10th of December at Villa Ingeborg on the Riviera, where I will display my oil pantings. I’m also visualising a plate concept for Cap Modern and I have a book project coming up too, which I hope will be launched in August in 2020.”

Now, what is your secret for managing it all?
”Good employees! Make sure you have good people around you who can provide both results and inspiration. In New York I succeeded thanks to good contacts.”
But one of her main credits for it all she says is to her role model father who had an unconventional lifestyle. With four siblings and a mother who passed away prematurely, she had to find ways that made life a little easier. Agneta is now herself a great role model for all entrepreneurs.

Finally, why are you so passionated about water lilies, lace and soul music?
”I discovered water lilies in the garden that once belonged Yves Saint Laurent in Marrakesh. His garden was enchanting and forever was stuck in my imagination and image of the world. I love lace, such magic in the fine craftsmanship I saw during my factory visits in Portugal. Soul music is keeping me alive!”

A creative artist that makes architecture come alive.

There are few artists that inspire joy from their work. Agneta is a child of nature, who was initially inspired by her father’s work but later ended up following in the footsteps of renowned architect Eileen Gray. A big part of the driving force behind her choices has been in meeting new people, and a lot has been about instincts.

 

A gray Tuesday in Stockholm, I meet with Agneta. She describes how different energies have unique effects, just like the gloomy darkness in Stockholm in February can feel quite heavy. Yet, the heavy feeling is blown away by stepping into her showroom. Here the Azul Blue color dominates, leaving behind a breezy and calm lifeforce.

 

With clear goals in mind, she moves forward. She shares a quote from her father that continues to direct her actions, “A sitting bird gets nothing.” Sitting still does not describe Agneta. Moving forward and getting things done makes her an equivalent counterpart to Kajsa Kavat in art.

 

After finishing her studies at Anders Beckman’s school in Stockholm and then completing an arts degree at the San Francisco Art Institute, she decided to head back to France, where she had spent much of her childhood. As a teen, she lived partly in Riviera with her family. Her father, who was a businessman in Paris, had bought the grand villa of Karl Gerhard in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. This part of the Riviera came to be the inspiration for the now modern and iconic “Caffe Latte.” Another source of inspiration came when she met her husband and later had three children. With a baby at home, she started to work more with clay. The timing was perfect as the demand for her handmade ceramics was overwhelming. With various clients such as IKEA and Habitat, she could expand production to factories in Portugal and Italy. Anything to meet demand.

 

The true driving force behind her success has come from the fact that she is a creative, curious, and fearless person who gets things done.

 

We often, during the conversation, come back to the thesis of taking risks. Moving to the US to enroll in an arts college demonstrated this willingness to take risks early, shares Agneta. “If nothing is happening, you have to get it done yourself,” is the thesis that Agneta embraces—the idea of going “all in.” Her vision of recreating and learning has given her insight into making mistakes and why, in the end, those who are willing to make mistakes and learn from them will be rewarded for it. She gives an example of her time spent working with the company Williams Sonoma in the USA. Agneta’s job was to create an entire collection of designs and patterns. Agneta worked on the Italian patterns for over a year. The day before New Year’s Eve, she got a call telling her the project was being shut down.

 

Agneta had not received a down payment and an entire year’s work was down the drain. It was a difficult New Year’s Eve, she acknowledges. But pity those who give up. Agneta decided to keep the project as her own, moving forward with developing the product. A short time later, she released the herb plates that had been part of the previous year’s work. These are now among her bestsellers. That’s Agneta in a nutshell. Using setbacks as a trigger for prosperity.

 

Agneta is always accepting new challenges and dares to take risks. When something feels heavy or difficult, she will take another way around.

 

An example that shows the importance of thought, touch, and realization is the project in Torekov. At the location, she brings her son for a walk across the open fields, and they stumble across a lot, situated beautifully. Here Agneta caught a feeling—I want to live here. Her son, as well as her husband, told her, “Well then buy it!” Said and done. She called up the broker and signed a contract the very same day. This is still Agneta in a nutshell. If something feels right, then go for it. Timing is everything, and she seems to bring it with her when a decision is supposed to be made. Had she been a more “normal” person, she would have gone home and thought it through.

 

As mentioned earlier, Agneta goes “all in.” Her vision is to materialize and pull wisdom from the fact that the big failures leads to the biggest successes.

 

Moving forward with the deal ultimately turned out to be the right thing. Agneta started drawing up sketches of what would become her dream house. She describes the feeling of designing her ceramics, paintings, and other small decorations around her new house, as just like magic, the rush of life. There she stood in the fields of Torekov, right between the sky and the ocean. Her preceptive architect later brought everything to life. Agneta tells of the lovely fields where she played as a child, which had now become her own paradise. Look forward, create by doing something new. She could additionally add a new title to her lengthy resume: Building contractor. La Casa Del Mare, which Agneta had created, is a modern house inspired by the French-Italian Riviera.

 

It all summarizes the feeling she had growing up on the Mediterranean coast. With a view over Kattegatt towards Hallands väder island, the wind and the ocean served as inspiration. The building is the work of an artist who blends in perfectly in the untouched fields. This building also summarizes a big part of her journey as an artist. All of the art and created objects were planned to fit in. The water lily was often found in her artmaking, and so a pond was added with water lilies that float freely. The house built in 2017/2018 is easily manageable and has a showroom nearby that allows for a division of space between the private and the business. The architect employed white lime rocks in the design because it protects both from the summer heat and the winter cold. In the center of it all, Agneta could settle. The fascinating part was that she now had headed into a new phase, as an architect and building contractor.

 

To create a whole house was one of the biggest art projects yet, shares Agneta. “But I only see my journey’s beginning. Where it ends, nobody knows.” For Agneta, the motivation is the way forward. We have a lot to learn from this woman. In the middle of the interview, she peeks at her computer. “I just have to book a trip.” Multitasking. “I just can’t stay here is this grey climate,” Agneta adds. We continue the interview, but within a couple of minutes, she has managed to simultaneously book a trip to Côte d’Azur. “There you can find warmth and joy during some of the winter months.” Agneta points out that while she loves living in Sweden and everything it comes with, the darkness affects her. The inspiration stops there.

 

The trip has been booked and Agneta is smiling, on the road again. I can feel in my heart that she would never seek to escape from anything, but rather she would simply find another solution. I admire this charismatic woman who walks her own path and finds joy despite the bumps in the road. She sees the possibilities we all should see.

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