Sami Kallio & Jakob Thau

Nordic design duo Jakob Thau and Sami Kallio (Thau & Kallio) are celebrated for revitalizing Scandinavian craft through modern industrial manufacturing. Both formally trained cabinetmakers with master’s degrees from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and HDK Gothenburg respectively, they unite Danish joinery traditions with Finnish-Swedish woodworking heritage. Their hands-on prototyping philosophy centers on structural honesty and material tactile richness. For Danish brand &Tradition, they conceived the celebrated Betty seating collection. Named after Copenhagen’s historic Betty Nansen Theatre, the series highlights exposed natural linen webbing woven into a solid lacquered ash or oak frame, turning structural support into an expressive graphic detail. They have also created bentwood designs for heritage Swedish maker Gemla.