Presented during 3daysofdesign 2026, Kim Naver: Dansk Moderne celebrated a legendary textile practice spanning six decades and marked DANSK’s public introduction under Form, bringing exhibition and gathering into one setting at the Copenhagen studio.

From a square to a stripe to a system, the exhibition traced Kim's lifelong practice through architectural commissions and domestic interiors, exploring how her textiles shape atmosphere, function, and everyday rituals in dialogue with DANSK.

Naver established her own studio in Copenhagen in 1966. Early recognition came quickly: the Cotil Prize in 1969, the Lunning Prize in 1970 – one of Scandinavian design's most significant early-career honors. She has since been appointed to the Order of the Dannebrog.

Across more than six decades, her practice moved between art, architecture, and everyday life. It was built on what she calls a love of purity: in colour, in material, in the logic of the woven surface.

DANSK was founded in 1954 – the same decade Naver began her training under Vibeke Klint and Lis Ahlmann, two of the defining figures of Danish modernist weaving.

Both practices share the same distinctly Danish precision and understanding that beauty emerges through material intelligence and restraint. The exhibition offered a first look at the partnership between Naver and DANSK, with Naver as the first new designer to work with the brand under Form. With DANSK’s creative center now returned to Copenhagen, the collaboration brings the brand’s heritage into active dialogue with Danish design today.

Sketches, material studies, and samples sat alongside finished work: weavings for Arne Jacobsen's National Bank and the Performing Arts Center, Værket, collaborations with Georg Jensen Damask, and work for Royal Copenhagen – tracing a career that moved through the defining spaces and institutions of Danish cultural life.

At the center of the room, a large-scale weaving hung from the ceiling—architectural in weight and presence. Nearby, a vintage bar cabinet sat in easy readiness. Kim's linens, paired with Jens Quistgaard's candelabras, cookware, peppermills, and cutlery, completed the scene. Together, the effect was uniquely Danish modern: contemporary and nostalgic, linear yet playful, restrained yet welcoming. The dialogue between these elements also pointed toward DANSK's future under Form, with Naver becoming the first new designer to work with DANSK.

The exhibition marks a first glimpse of an upcoming tabletop textile collaboration with DANSK. A natural next chapter for a designer who has always been ahead of her time. 

Mark Masiello to Surface Magazine

The week unfolded with a deliberate rhythm. A preview dinner with Kim Naver opened the exhibition – an intimate evening for editors, collaborators, and designers. 

Through the afternoons, DANSK Bistro filled the courtyard with Danish bites, cold beer, and an easy conviviality – the kind that draws people in and makes them stay. DANSK Disco closed out the week with cocktails, conversation, and hits from the past – a celebration of what DANSK has always been: a distinctly Danish idea, born in Copenhagen, made for gathering.

Kim Naver: Dansk Moderne ran June 10–12, 2026, at Form Portfolios Studio, Badstuestræde 17, Copenhagen. The forthcoming DANSK collection with Kim Naver will make its formal debut later this year. 

Form Portfolios preserves and stewards
the Kim Naver design archive, spanning
more than six decades of designs.

PHOTOS BY SOFIE HVITVED
PHOTO OF THE DANISH NATIONAL BANK BY ADAM MØRK


COPYRIGHT © 2023 FORM PORTFOLIOS
THE TRADEMARKS, LOGOS, AND SERVICE MARKS (COLLECTIVELY THE "TRADEMARKS") DISPLAYED ON THE SITE ARE REGISTERED
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COPYRIGHT © 2025 FORM PORTFOLIOS
THE TRADEMARKS, LOGOS, AND SERVICE MARKS (COLLECTIVELY THE "TRADEMARKS") DISPLAYED ON THE SITE ARE REGISTERED AND UNREGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF FORM PORTFOLIOS OR THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.