Pull, Twist, Blow: Transforming the Kingdom of Glass introduces the work of young, innovative Swedish glass artists. Glass is a part of everyday life for people all over the world, and in Sweden glass art is considered an institution. For many years, glass art in the country was defined by traditional techniques and patterns passed down through an apprentice system at glass factories in Glasriket (The Kingdom of Glass) in the region of Småland, where 15 of Sweden’s 16 glassworks are located. Following consolidations, buyouts, closure, and the globalization of the Swedish glass industry, new artists are interested in exploring their own artistic voices and challenging expectations of what glass should be.

The exhibition Pull, Twist, Blow: Transforming the Kingdom of Glass reveals the works of young, contemporary Swedish glass artists, how they relate to their predecessors, and how they are addressing the future of glass.

Nordic artists featured in the exhibit include Peter Hermansson, Annika Jarring, Åsa Jungnelius, Ingalena Klenell, Simon Klenell, Helena Kågebrand, Matilda Kästel, Ludvig Löfgren, Fredrik Nielsen, and Karl Magnus Nilsson.

In collaboration with the Glass Factory in Boda, Sweden, and specifically for this exhibition, each of the artists selected objects from the Glass Factory’s extensive collection to use as a reference to create their own original work. The pieces that served as inspiration will be displayed alongside the new works, including pieces by Monica Backström, Kjell Engman, Hertha Hillfon, Ulrica Hydman-Vallien, Erik Höglund, Vicke Lindstrand, Bengt Lindström, and Bertil Vallien.