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Kosta Boda Mats Jonasson
Orrefors Bergdala
 
   
   
 
 
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Bertil Vallien

Bertil Vallien has since the 1960's been one of the most influential Swedish designers. He has affected both the artistic expression and introduced new ideas for production and individualization of crystal. In the 1980's he introduced the concept of 'Artist Collection'. Each item was produced as a series, but the artists then individualized each item. The production cost was reduced and a wider audience could be reached. At the same time, each piece of art glass was unique which was in line with the individualistic spirit of the 1980's.
 
Bertil received his education at the College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm and then continued his education in Mexico and the USA. A curious fact about Bertil is that his last name was originally Wallin. There was however a Swedish silversmith who went by the same name in the USA, so Bertil decided to change the spelling of his last name. After his sojourn west of the Atlantic, he came to Kosta Boda where he is continuously creating glassware that is always a great success.
 
He is the originator of the Chateau, the best ever selling hand crafted stemware in the world (12 million glasses sold!). The true defender of the craft that he is, he wanted to create a range that could not be machine made. He also wanted to tap into the great craftsmanship of the glass blowers. The result was a range that stands on a slender stem and boasts optical effects. The twist of the optical effect was originally a mistake. But the beautiful mistake was taken onboard and became one of the most beloved ranges of stemware in the history of Kosta Boda.
 
 
Aside from his work at the glassworks he has been commissioned to decorate many public places. Ships, churches, hospitals and public buildings are all on the list of projects in Sweden. In the US he has designed parts of the Swedish Embassy in Washington DC, USA.
 
Bertil's considers his artist roll to be separate from his roll as a designer and trouble-shooter. Hi has managed both parts magnificently. The long list of exhibitions and museums where he is represented is the token of his success along with all the awards that he has won. For the traveller who wants to enjoy Bertil's design, there is a list of places where his works can be seen:
 
 
Örebro Läns Konstmuseum, Sweden
The National Museum of Fine Arts, Stockholm, Sweden
Corning Museum of Glass, New York, USA
Röhsska Konstslöjdsmuseet, Gothenburg
Everson Museum, Syracuse, USA
Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Smålands Museum, Växjö, Sweden
Kung Gustav VI Adolfs samlingar, Stockholm
Norrköpings Museum, Norrköping, Sweden
Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, France
The Art Institute of Chicago, USA
Kunstmuseum, Düsseldorf, Tyskland
Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art, Japan
Ebeltoft Glasmuseum, Ebeltoft, Denmark
Yokohama Art Museum, Japan
Pilkington Glass Museum, Merseyside, England
Indianapolis Art Museum,Washington, USA
Trondheims Konstmuseum, Norway
Toledo Art Museum, Ohio, USA
Die Neue Sammlung, Museum für Angewandte Kunst, München, Germany
Museé des Arts Décoratifs, Lausanne, Switzerland
National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, Japan
Absolut Collection, N.J., USA
Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
The Microsoft Art Collection, Seattle, W.A., USA
The JB Speed Art Museum, Louisville, USA
The Prescott Collection at First Centre, Seattle, USA
Tokyo Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan
Yokohama Art Museum, Yokohama, Japan
Detroit Art Institute, Detroit, USA
M.H. de Young Museum, San Fransisco, USA
Dayton Art Institute, Dayton, Ohio, USA
The Chrysler Museum of Norfolk, Virginia, USA
Vida Museum, Öland, Sweden
Museum fur Kunst und Gewerbe, Hamburg, Germany
The Mint Museum of Art and Design, Charlotte, N.C., USA
Racin Art Museum, Racin WA, USA
 
 
  



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