A group of 17 female Swedish designers will be touring in the United States in 2010 and early 2011, with exhibitions at the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis, the Swedish American Institute in Chicago, the World Market Center in Las Vegas and the House of Sweden in Washington D.C.

The exhibition consists of 3-10 products from each of the seventeen designers. The products range from small items such as porcelain and glass to textiles and furniture.

Swedish design used to be largely male dominated, but with increasing number of women choosing the design profession, the concept of design has changed; women have incorporated a more sensual vision characterized by female experiences.

Early in their careers, all 17 designers exhibited at the small Gallery Pascale in Stockholm. The gallery’s founder, Pascale Cottard-Olsson, is known for her ability to spot talented designers. She describes her ten years of action in the book “17 Swedish Designers, chez Pascale.” The exhibit, based on the book, displays the various individual designers’ recent work.

The designers participating in the exhibition include Pia Amsell, Carina Seth-Andersson, Lena Bergström, Camilla Diedrich, Monica Förster, Front, Anki Gneib, Nina Jobs, Anna Kraitz, Lotta Kühlhorn, Anna Lerinder, Ulrika Mårtensson, Anna von Schewen, Eva Schildt, Sara Szyber, Pia Törnell and Barbro Wesslander.

Furniture companies participating in the exhibition include Gärsnäs, Design House Stockholm, Källemo, IKEA, Offecct, Orrefors, Nola, Swedese, Rörstrand and Materia.

Follow the tour at www.svenskform.se/17swedishdesigners