THE KOSTA BODA DESIGNERS WHOSE WORK WE FEATURE MOST
Bertil Vallien
Bertil Vallien is by far the most internationally celebrated glass artist and designer in Sweden. He has received numerous awards and his work is represented in leading museums around the world. He works in a mythical, dream-like world of symbolic imagery. He undertakes what he himself describes as a never-ending research quest, in close cooperation with his co-workers, several of whom have worked with Vallien for decades.
"Glass offers opportunities like no other material. It has everything. For me, the blowing room is the centre of everything. It's like ladling matter out of a volcano and watching the glowing lava turn to ice. Knowing the exact moment at which to capture a shift of light or expression and wrench the secret from the glass is what it's all about."
Anna Ehrner
Anna Ehrner is an experimental stylist. Her work is distinguished by simple yet powerful shapes and an ability to achieve shimmering displays by using colour in subtle ways. Veils of colour inside the crystal have become something of a trademark in her art glass. She is the originator of best selling collections such as the Line glasses and the Contrast series of bowls and vases. Born in 1948, Anna has worked with Kosta Boda since 1974.
Göran Wärff
Few, if any, have such a deep feeling for the glass melt as Göran Wärff, who has always shown special interest in preserving the traditional skills of the master craftsmen in glassblowing and glass cutting. The play of light within the clear volume of the glass and the endless optical phenomena that occur as the glass diffracts the light are a recurring theme in Göran Wärff’s art and design work. Nature and the play of light in nature are his other main sources of inspiration, beyond the glass itself.
"The melt, glowing in the furnace, is what draws me to new discoveries. With every gather, I feel an almost irresistible urge to give new expression to the magic of glass, to create a work that will be the bearer of light, the sea and the air. Each piece that I design I try to make a receptacle for light, for warmth and sensuality.