In focus with Kaja Dahl

Who is Kaja Dahl? 
I was born in Oslo, Norway into a family that practices and values creativity. I have found that designing and sculpting would be my life-project. I'm a bit of a nerd and I dive into projects wholehearted. I love cities, but I do love nature a bit more. 

How do you describe your process? Is it a dialogue with the material, a preconceived vision, or something in between?
My process is intuitive. Often, the path to a creation begins with an inspiring piece of raw material, or it can be about finding the right piece to tell a desired story. For Tom Wood, the story and inspiration were shaped by their universe and the new Cove collection.

With an overall vision, I went to the Lundhs quarry to select the materials. You never know exactly what you will find, which is part of the exciting process, but here I found both pieces that gave direction and blocks that fit my sketches.

Once the materials are found, I analyze them and their form, going through the interventions I want to make in a 'conversation' with the stone. Stone has a lot of resistance and a strong will, so I always work with, and not against nature.

This collaboration is titled "Dialogue in stone". How would you describe the dialogue between your work and the Tom Wood universe?
The way I saw my task in this collaboration with Tom Wood, which is also the overarching vision in my own work, is to convey the value of nature. So for this project—where the stone was already chosen and where Tom Wood and I share a similar vision for longevity—it was easy for me to translate this into the sculptural objects.

The collaboration between you and Tom Wood began in early 2025. Can you share a little about the journey, from the initial conversations to the creation of the final pieces?
When I received the invitation to collaborate with Tom Wood, it was easy to say yes. I have followed the brand for many years and was quite familiar with the jewellery. In the first meeting with Mona and her team, I felt we spoke the same language, and they also had an exciting task they wanted to give me. I enjoy receiving a brief with a framework to work within; combined with artistic freedom, it's a good recipe. Throughout our meetings, we discussed and shared inspiration and our common passion for craftsmanship; it's inspiring to approach 'the same thing' in different ways.

You created four sculptures for our stores in Oslo and Aoyama, and our showroom. How did you approach creating distinct pieces that still feel connected as a series?
In the sketching phase, I tested techniques and textures and chose one method to use across all the sculptures. The second element I decided to include were beads from the actual jewellery in the Cove collection. By choosing this specific combination of polished beads, a white, worked texture, and the raw larvikite surface, all four sculptures were easily connected. The sculpture for the Tokyo store, however, differs slightly from the others, but it was to be placed in such a specific room and location that I had to make it a little 'different'.

These sculptures are crafted from Lundhs Larvikite. What is your relationship with this specific stone, and what characteristics did you want to highlight?
I have worked with larvikite for many years; the first time was in 2017, and in 2019 I sculpted my first monumental piece and was captivated. The rock allows you to work with a wide spectrum of 'colors' and surfaces, from a nearly white, hammered finish to a mirror-like 'glass' with shimmering crystals. This range is exciting, and even more so when you add the natural surfaces that nature itself creates. In the Cove collection, Tom Wood already featured the polished surface, so in my sculptures, I worked between the raw and the processed using a diamond blade, along with the placement of the polished beads.

The sculptures integrate Tom Wood's new Cove beads and products. What was the process like for merging the raw, natural form of the stone with the refined nature of jewellery?
The beads are set into the sculptures. The cavity for each bead is drilled and fitted by hand before being set. To ensure the character of the jewellery stands out, they are all placed against a worked, matte texture as a background.