Biography

Biography/General:
Maggots. Sheep stomachs. Seaweed. German-born designer and researcher Julia Lohmann investigates and critiques the ethical and material value systems underpinning our relationship with flora and fauna. She is professor of Practice in Contemporary Design at Aalto University, Helsinki, where she also lives with her family. Julia studied at the Royal College of Art, where she has also taught and completed an AHRC-funded collaborative PhD scholarship between the RCA and the Victoria & Albert Museum. As designer in residence at the V&A in 2013, she founded the Department of Seaweed, an interdisciplinary community of practice exploring the sustainable development of seaweed as a design material. She has been external examiner on the Central Saint Martins MA Material Futures. Julia Lohmann’s work is part of major public and private collections worldwide and has received awards, bursaries and support from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the British Council, Jerwood Contemporary Makers, D&AD, Stanley Picker Gallery, Arts Foundation, WellcomeTrust and Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum.

Education:
2017
• PhD, ‘The Department of Seaweed – Co-speculative Design in a Museum Residency’, Royal College of Art and Victoria & Albert Museum London, UK, funded by Arts & Humanities Research Council
2004
• MA (RCA) Design Products, Royal College of Art, London, UK
2003
• CLTAD introduction course for tutors in art and design Centre for Learning and Teaching in Art & Design, London, UK
2001
• BA (Hons) Graphic Design, Surrey Institute of Art & Design, University College, Epsom, UK

Exhibitions:
2020
• Partnering with Nature, Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum, World Economic Forum 50th Annuanl Meeting, Davos, CH
• Énergie animale, Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, CH
2019
• DoS Living Archive, State of Extremes, Design Museum Holon, Holon, Israel • Sea Ceremony, Lofoten International Art Festival: High Tides and Kelp Congress,
Nordnorsk Kunstnersenter, NNKS, Svolvær, Norway
• Design Triennial: Nature / Salvage, Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum,
New York, US, and Cube Design Museum, Kerkrade, NL
• Oki Naganode, Milan Triennale: Broken Nature, Milan, Italy
• La Fabrique du Vivant [Designing the Living]: Mutations/Créations,
Centre Pompidou, Paris, France
• An Accelerated Culture, Friedmann Benda, New York, USA
• Critical Tide – Critical Design and the Ocean, Design Museum Helsinki, Finland
and European Committee of the Regions, Brussels, Belgium
• Permanent collection, MAK,Vienna,Austria
2018
• Cow bench Janne: Purchased for the permanent collection of the
Art Institute of Chicago, USA
• Food Revolution 5.0: Gestaltung für die Gesellschaft von Morgen,
Kunstgewerbemuseum Berlin, Germany and Gewerbemuseum Winterthur, CH • Raw Design: Museum of Craft and Design, San Francisco, USA
• Dissident Gardens: Biotopia, Het Nieuwe Instituut, Rotterdam, Netherlands
2017
• Department of Seaweed / Design on Display, Konzernforum,Autostadt Wolfsburg • Earth Matters,Tilburg Textiel Museum,Tilburg, Netherlands
2016
• Vienna Design Week, Austrian Cultural Forum, New York, USA
• Future Archaïque, Mudac, Lausanne, Switzerland
2015
• Earth Matters,Artipelag, Stockholm, Sweden
• Future Archaïque, Le Grand Hornu, Belgium
• Open Ended, Dutch Design Week, Eindhoven, Netherlands
• D-Espazio, CentroCentro, Madrid, Spain
2014
Hit the Future – Design Beyond Borders, Munich, Germany
2013
• Isn’t it Romantic? – Contemporary Design Between Poetry and Provocation,
Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln, Germany
• Cut/Paste/Grow“ – Science at Play: Bioart in Brooklyn,
The Observatory, Brooklyn, New York, USA
2012
• Everything Forever Now, British Council, Bangkok,Thailand
2011
• Post Fossil: Excavating 21st Century, Design Museum Holon, Israel
• Böse Dinge – Positionen des (Un)geschmacks, Gewerbemuseum Winterthur, Switzerland
2010
• Tidal Ossuary, Gallery Libby Sellers, London, UK
• Post Fossil: Excavating 21st Century, 21_21 Design Sight,Tokyo, Japan
• Dead or Alive, Museum of Arts and Design, New York City, USA
• Laminarium, Stanley Picker Gallery, Kingston Upon Thames, UK
• Collacqueration, Japanese Embassy, London, UK
2009
•Co-Existence,WellcomeTrust,London,UK
• Contemporary Makers, Jerwood Space, London, UK
• Design Miami, Miami, USA
2008
• Rough Cut: Design Takes a Sharp Edge, MoMA, New York, USA
• Design in the State of Nature, Design Miami 2008, USA
• The Conformitory, Somerset House, London, UK
• Origin, Crafts Council, Somerset House, London, UK
• Designer of the Future, Design Miami Basel, Switzerland
• Translating Tradition, Lungomare Gallery, Bolzano/Bozen, Italy
• Panta rei, Galleria Nilufar, Milan, Italy
2007
• The Catch, S-AIR/ICC, Sapporo, Japan
• Grandmateria, Libby Sellers Gallery, Design/Miami, USA
• Everything Material Something Immaterial,
Galerie Lucy Mackintosh, Lausanne, Switzerland
• Grandmateria, Libby Sellers Gallery, London, UK
• Get it Louder, Shanghai, Guang-Zhou, Beijing, China
• Great Brits, Concert Hall,Athens, Greece
• Tabourets, Galerie Kreo, Paris, France
• Design Contre Design, Grand Palais, Paris, France
2006
• Design Miami/Basel, (with Galerie Kreo), Miami, USA
• Betes du Style, Mudac, Lausanne, Switzerland
• Eden ADN, St.Etienne, France
• Travelling Apothecary, British Library Piazza, London, UK
• Alien Archaeology,V&A Village Fete, London, UK
• New British Designers, Droog Design,Amsterdam, Netherlands • Great Brits – The New Alchemists, ICA Singapore, Singapore
• Football Fever, Design Museum, London, UK
• Exhibition One, Designer’s Agency, Köln, Germany
2005
• Great Brits – The New Alchemists, escorter AOYAMA, Minato-ku,Tokyo,Japan
• Shed, part of News from Nowhere:Visions of Utopia, London, UK
• Ron Arad Presents,Ausstellungshalle für Zeitgenössische Kunst, Münster, Germany • European Design Show, Design Museum, London, UK
• Great Brits – The New Alchemists, Paul Smith Headquarters, Milan, Italy
• Twinkle Twinkle, 100% Design Moskau, Russia
2004
• Design Mart, Design Museum, London, UK
• Biennale Internationale Design, St.Etienne, France
• The Show, Royal College of Art, London, UK
• Tools Galerie, Paris, France
2001
• IF Design Awards, Hanover, Germany
• D&AD (British Design & Art Direction) New Blood, London, UK

Awards/Grants:
2020 Artistic Activity Award, Aalto University School of Arts Design and Architecture
2014 • Hamburg Teaching Award for innovative teaching methods, Germany
• Arts Foundation Award for Material Innovation, UK
2011 One of „20 designers, that will influence the next Century“,
nominated by Alice Rawsthorn and Paola Antonelli in the Rolling Stone Magazine Design Special Issue
2010 • Audi Mentor Prize, Architektur & Wohnen Magazin
• Arts & Humanities Research Council PhD Studentship at the RCA and V&A
2008/09 • Stanley Picker Fellowship, Stanley Picker Gallery, Kingston-upon-Thames
• Designer of the Future Award, Design Miami/Basel
2004 • Esmee Fairbairn Foundation Award, Design Museum, London
• Qatar Logo Competition, First Prize Costume Museum Identity
• National Grid Transco Award, Shortlisted
2001 • IF Design Award, 2 „Best of Category“ Preise: Ecology und Product Design • D&AD Student Award, First Prize, Product Development
• John Gillard Award, First Prize, Best Student on Show