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Now in its fourth year the Kanken Art collaboration has become something of a staple on the Fjällräven calendar. Each year the brand offer an artist the opportunity to put their own spin on one of the world’s most iconic backpacks – the Kanken.
For the 2023 edition of Kanken Art the Swedish brand have taken a brand new approach and have teamed up with Swedish illustrator Martin Anders aka Mander. Best known for his work with Skateboard companies such as Poler and Flip, Mander has put a modern spin on the concept of ‘outdoors’ and the resulting Kanken is one of the most original to date.
About Mander
Hailing from Stockholm, Mander is no stranger to the Fjällräven brand however this collaboration marks a stark diversion from his best known work. Growing up during the 1980’s Mander was perfectly placed to be involved in the booming skateboard culture which spread from the US and took over the wider world in the 1980’s and 90’s.
The son of an Advertising Director and illustrator Mander quickly developed his own love for creating art and in the early 2000’s his love for Skateboarding and graphic design collided. Mander began working with Swedish skateboard brand ‘Bellows’ and quickly became one of the most prolific Skateboard graphic designers around. In the past 15 years Mander has created over 300 Skateboard graphics for some of the biggest names in the world of Skate including Flip and Poler.
Alongside his work in the Skateboard community Mander has worked on tour posters for some of the biggest names in music including Pearl Jam, has created album art for the likes of KRS One and has created art for ‘Stranger Things’ and has exhibited worldwide.
As part of the Fjallraven x Specialized collection which launched in 2022 Mander jumped on board and created some cycle inspired graphics which can be seen throughout the collection. It is from this initial work that the Kanken Art ’23 collaboration came to be.
Kanken Art 2023
For every Kanken Art collaboration the artist is given a simple brief; “create a design inspired by nature”. Mander took this concept and created a bold design based on the magnified shapes and textures of natural materials like wood, moss, stone and Lichen.
The natural patterns which inspired Mander were then merged with his own style to create something truly unique. When talking about the collaboration and the creative process, Mander says; "The closer I looked, the more structures appeared on stones, leaves, fungus and moss. I couldn’t decide which one I liked most, so I decided to use them all, then add elements of punk and fanzine aesthetics to what eventually became a patchwork pattern.”
For 2023 the Kanken Art collection is made bigger and better by becoming Kanken Art Plus. This special edition is made in durable G-1000 HeavyDuty Eco S and features a removable seat pad, padded shoulder straps and webbing handles at the top. It has two open side pockets and one zippered pocket on the front and an internal 15” laptop sleeve with a padded bottom.
To make new the new Kanken Art collection truly ‘plus’ each bag comes with a Mander designed pen case and sketchbook inside so you can begin working on your own future Kanken design!
Available in two colourways the 2023 Kanken Art Plus collection is available online and instore now at Nordic Outdoor. Love Fjallraven? Shop all of the latest arrivals for men and women online now at Nordic Outdoor.