Folke Arström

Born in Bromma, Folke Emanuel Arstrom studied at Linköping School and Fine Arts at the Stockholm Royal Institute of Technology from 1927 to 1929 and at the Royal School of Fine Arts from 1929 to 1936. During his studies he also worked as a painter and graphic artist, especially for the exhibition in Stockholm in 1930.

In 1931, he received several orders for ornamental paintings in Linköping, including a project for a cinema house Rhöda Kvarn. Three years later, he opened his workshop. His first works were posters, layout plans Historika Statens Museum (National History Museum), decorative projects for some other museums. Between 1935 and 1940, he designed objects in silver and pewter for GuldsmedsAktieBolaget, including his famous cocktail shaker of 1935, very aerodynamic object (which can be seen as a celebration of modernity) and fully functional with bulges and its cavities that allow it to be shaked well while holding it in one hand.

Arstrom became a chief designer at Gense in 1936 and artistic director in 1940, a position he held until 1960. He drawed some cutlery sets for in stainless steel, including "Thebe" set (1944) and the famous model "Focus" (1955-1956), a perfect example of the understated elegance of Scandinavian postwar design. The Focus was a great success in the US, where it helped to promote stainless steel cutlery replacing classical silverware. During his career, Armstrôm drawed for Bahco Skanska Ättiksfabriken, Primusfabrikerna and Annebergfabrikerna, receiving several awards, including a gold medal at the IX Triennale in Milan in 1951 and Gregor Paulsson trophy in 1961 for his design of stainless steel and plastic items.