Bertil Vallien

Bertil Vallien, a prominent Swedish sculptor, ceramist and designer, is best known for his significant contribution to the art of glass, particularly in the field of glass casting. His ground-breaking work has cemented his reputation as Sweden's foremost glass artist and designer, and his art has won numerous awards and become a permanent part of international museum collections.

Bertil Vallien began his career at the Boda glassworks, where he created unique glassware to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary. His artistic journey then continued at Åfors and later, from 2012, at Kosta Glasbruk. At the latter, he became particularly prominent for his use of the sand casting technique, where the glass mass is cast in sand. This technique has resulted in shimmering glass sculptures depicting boats and heads. His creations also include the Château and Oktav service glasses, as well as the Viewpoints glass series, which was launched in 1996.

Bertil Vallien's artistic expression moves into a mysterious world of symbols where each object carries an inherent power to provoke thought. His work goes beyond the purely visual and attracts the viewer to a deeper reflection on symbolism and meaning in art. With an outstanding skill and innovative spirit, Bertil Vallien has left his mark on the Swedish and international glass art scene.

TRAINING

Art department
Ceramic compartment
University of Southern California, Los Angeles

EXHIBITIONS SELECTION

Wide museum
Museum of Contemporary Crafts, New York
Nessimhallen, Malmö
Bonniers, New York
Boda glassworks anniversary exhibition, Stockholm
Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York

REPRESENTED

National Museum, Stockholm
Kalmar Art Museum
Röhs museum
Linköping Hospital
Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, New York

OTHER

The Swedish Crafts Association's silver medal and scholarship funds
Scholarship from the King's Fund
Scholarship from the H. Ax:son Johnson Foundation
Honorary doctorate at Växjö University
Prince Eugen medal