Artist Katja Beckman Ojala accuses Ikea of plagiarizing wall hangings

It was on Instagram that Ojala discovered Ikea's wall hangings, which are part of the furniture giant's new collection "Konstrunda".

The collection consists of a total of 22 items by seven artists and designers. She found the tapestry so similar to her own work that she almost thought it was something she had woven herself.

- The blue rya fabric is too close to my own artistry for it to be a coincidence, says Katja Beckman Ojala.

- I have shown these blue weaves at Stockholm Design Week, in Paris at their Art and Design Week and in Malmö. They have been shown a lot in Sweden and also internationally. The risk that someone at Ikea would have seen them is there, says Beckman Ojala.

"Feels like a method"

Ikea is regularly accused of plagiarizing artists. In May, designer Lukas Dahlén wrote in DN that Ikea copied his Weave cabinet. In 2025, designer Jessica Signell claimed that the company stole the design for her "EVE" drinks table.

- It feels like a method. Ikea makes something that is similar enough to someone else's work, but at the same time different enough for them to be protected against copyright law, says Katja Beckman Ojala.

In the video above, you can compare Ojala's and Ikea's wall hangings and hear why the artist thinks Ikea is harmful to Swedish design.

Ikea: "Independent design process"

Ikea denies all accusations of plagiarism. The company declines an interview with Kulturnyheterna, but writes in an email:

"Plagiarizing another designer's work is completely against our values and our way of working. The Konstrunda wall covering has been developed through an independent design process that grew out of the designer's work with the collection, her long experience in textile design and her own artistic expression. We are confident that the work has been developed independently and based on the creative process behind it."