Tiffany print

The Glass Factory, Boda Glasbruk, Sweden.

Swedish artist and designer Hanna Hansdotter’s novel take on glass art has received well-deserved praise and attention since her BFA degree show at Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design, Stockholm, in 2017. Her decadently voluptuous sculptures, often described as ‘punk baroque’, are produced by blowing molten glass into specially moulded iron frameworks that give the glass its intended pattern. The sculpture is then left to settle into whichever shape it happens to assume, ensuring that even editioned work is unique. Her practice is a self-described exploration of the nexus between craft and mass production: industrial production methods guided by artistic intentions.

Hansdotter recently emphasised the significance of chance in her artistic process in a conversation with Helena Skoog (‘Hanna Hansdotter frontar den punkiga glasvågen’ / ‘Hanna Hansdotter fronts the punky glass wave’, interview in Göteborgs-Posten, 7 December 2024): ‘- When I was at Konstfack, I started welding moulds for glass. I create a framework for my production, but a lot happens during the process that is allowed to take up a lot of space in the finished result. Random factors for what kind of identity and character an object should have.’

There are, however, several people involved in the creative process whose knowledge and effort Hansdotter depends on: the mould maker, the glassblowers and the cold worker. The shape is determined by the hexagonal iron lattice, constructed using the corresponding ancient technique: welded bars and pipes are fashioned into grids, with patterns borrowed from historical architecture: Christian ornaments as well as Islamic arabesques. Six walls form a hexagon out of which the glass paste flows. One soft breath into the pipe and the body begins to grow. Here follow a few critical instants where the artist has a mere couple of minutes to manipulate the form and give it shape. Then: the cooling, cold working, and mirroring of the inside. An endeavour carefully planned, indeed, almost choreographed. Careless movements and a lost instant can undo it all, with an object lacking the desired qualities.

Produced in a historically and culturally significant Swedish area dubbed ‘Glasriket’ (‘The Kingdom of Crystal’) in the region of Småland, Hansdotter’s work is a contemporary take on a centuries-old tradition of industrial glass blowing in the district. ‘The Kingdom of Crystal’ is a geographical area today containing a total of circa 14 glassworks in the municipalities of Emmaboda, Nybro, Uppvidinge and Lessebo, in southern Sweden. ‘The Kingdom of Crystal’ is known for its handblown glass with a continuous story dating back to 1742! The glassworks have become part of the culture of Sweden (as well as a hugely successful export industry); examples can be found in many Swedish homes, recognisable by a small sticker at the bottom with brand names like Orrefors, Kosta Boda, etc. The height of glass production was the end of the 19th century, during which 77 glass factories were established, with more than half of them situated in Småland. Today, three major glassworks still exist in the form of Kosta Boda (founded in 1742), Målerås (founded in 1890) and Skruf (founded in 1897).

Hansdotter’s story is thus tightly intertwined with another—that of Sweden at the dawn of industrialisation. A landscape rich in forests, and a group of people who, sometime in the 18th century, decided that certain geographical areas were suitable for large-scale glassblowing. They didn’t know at the time how large, and successful, it would become. The abundance of firewood was a precondition for the ovens that were to generate the tremendous heat required, and many glasswork foundries were built. With a booming industry, competition followed, and the foundries began to specialise in different styles. Enter the artists.

The Swedish glassworks have collaborated with numerous renowned artists, creating distinctive and, internationally, collectible glass pieces. A list of the artists and designers having created pieces for Kosta and Boda could be regarded as a ‘Who’s Who’ of prominent Swedish artists with names like Alf Wallander (1862–1914), Gunnar G:son Wennerberg (1863–1914), Karl Hultström (1884– 1973), Edvin Ollers (1888–1959), Ewald Dahlskog (1894–1950), Tyra Lundgren (1897–1979), Sven ‘X:et’ Erixson (1899–1970), Signe Persson-Melin (1925–2022), Erik Höglund (1932–1998), Bertil Vallien (1938–), Ulrica Hydman Vallien (1938–2018), Kjell Engman (1946–) and Åsa Jungnelius (1975–).

Skruf (recognised for its traditional craftsmanship and attention to detail) still specialises in handmade, mouth-blown glass, including art glass pieces and decorative objects by celebrated artists and designers such as Ingegerd Råman (1943–). Åfors (eventually part of Orrefors Kosta Boda) was widely known for its art glass production. The glassworks gained recognition for its elegant and innovative designs, often incorporating vibrant colours and organic forms. Åfors collaborated with prominent artists such as Vicke Lindstrand (1904–1983), Ulrica Hydman Vallien (1938–2018) and Bertil Vallien (1938–).

Orrefors (from 1990 to 2013 part of Orrefors Kosta Boda), finally, was one of the most renowned glassworks in Sweden. It had a long history of producing high-quality crystal glass and is known for its exceptional craftsmanship and innovative designs. Orrefors collaborated with numerous artists and designers, resulting in iconic pieces that have garnered international acclaim. A list of a few of the famous artists having worked with Orrefors would read as follows: Simon Gate (1883–1945), Edward Hald (1883– 1980), Sven Palmqvist (1906–1984), Edvin Öhrström (1906–1994), Nils Landberg (1907–1991), Ingeborg Lundin (1921–1992), Gunnar Cyrén (1931–2013), Eva Englund (1937–1998), Per B Sundberg (1964–) and (!) Karl Lagerfeld (1933–2019).

What was to be known as a golden era began around the turn of the century, 1900, with the introduction of cameo glass. The technique created a luxury form of glass art produced by cameo glass engraving (or etching) and carving through fused layers of differently coloured glass to produce designs, usually with white opaque glass figures and motifs on a dark-coloured background. In Sweden, cameo glass was often used during the Art Nouveau era and was designed by, among others, Alf Wallander and Gunnar G:son Wennerberg at Kosta. Another famous designer of Swedish Art Nouveau cameo glass was Karl Lindeberg (1877–1931), also at Kosta, who not only designed the pieces but also executed them as an engraver and etcher.

Worth mentioning also in this context is Axel Enoch Boman (1875–1949) who, as a very accomplished engraver/etcher, carried out most of the designs drawn by Wallander and Wennerberg at Kosta. A further development of the cameo glass is grail glass and ariel glass, which were developed at Orrefors glassworks in 1916 and 1936/1937, respectively. The grail glass was developed by Simon Gate (hired in 1916) and Edward Hald (hired in 1917), together with master glassblower Knut Bergqvist (1873–1953).

The 1920s brought further international recognition for Swedish glass. This time Orrefors, with Simon Gate and Edward Hald, led the way. Simon Gate designed magnificent, engraved clear glass compositions. He decorated his urns, vases and bowls with neoclassical pageants, dancing women and other life-affirming motifs. At the World Exhibition, Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, in Paris (1925), his and Edward Hald’s work garnered massive praise whilst also bringing world reputation to Orrefors. The designs of Gate and Hald were partially responsible for the term ‘Swedish grace’ (coined by British art critic Philip Morton Shand in response to Swedish design at the Paris Exhibition), which refers to the luxurious Swedish version of the international Art Deco movement.

The World Exhibition in Paris was followed by further international success with the travelling exhibition Swedish Decorative Arts (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York/Chicago) in 1927 and Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne in Paris in 1937. The Paris exposition of 1937 saw the international launch of the celebrated Ariel glass.

During the post-war era, the Swedish glassworks produced high modernist as well as postmodern pieces of the highest international standard. Swedish art glass, known for its exceptional design and innovation, has gained international recognition through exhibitions, museums, and galleries. Major glass collections around the world feature works by Swedish artists and designers. Additionally, prestigious awards and honours have been bestowed upon Swedish glassmakers, further solidifying their reputation as leaders in the field.

The 1980s and 90s marked a kind of culmination for Swedish glass art, where extensive volumes were exported to countries such as the United States and Japan. Visiting tourists spent large amounts of money on Swedish art glass, while a variety of artists and designers reaped great success. The variety and diversity displayed by art glass from the period can be exemplified by Ulrica Hydman Vallien’s garish and life-affirming pieces on the one hand and Ingegerd Råman’s fastidiously sophisticated collections on the other. This hype was, unfortunately, followed by stagnation in the world economy and recession, which led to several glassworks across the country having to close operations.

Thus, when Hansdotter first arrived in Kosta, she came to a place where the glass industry had recently gone through a substantial paradigm shift. As the old era of the famous Swedish ‘Kingdom of Crystal’ was ending, Hanna Hansdotter stepped in—a new beginning.

Copyright Firestorm Foundation