Year of The Handmade

Read this recent article about 101 Bowls and CraftBOWL by Lee Dean of the Star Tribune

In 2018, the American Swedish Institute presents a suite of exhibitions and programs exploring the theme, The Handmade. These projects delve into relevant and timely issues increasingly reflected in the handmade forum – from the old world to the new, and from the traditional to the contemporary, examining intersections among local and global, identity, heritage and sustainability.

The year kicks off with CraftBOWL, an exhibition project that explores vessel design and craft traditions represented through varied mediums of handcraft – from wood, to glass, to ceramics –  as practiced in Sweden and around the world.

The exhibition explores the work and careers of three established Swedish masters in their respective fields:  Jögge Sundqvist and Bertil Vallien, and Swedish National Treasure Ingegerd Råman. Through the craft movements they have inspired globally, we offer a sense of the Swedish cultural values and milieu that give rise for a respect for, and the intimate understanding of the handmade.

Artist Overviews:

• Surolle is an installation that includes 45 masterpieces by Swedish woodworker, Jögge Sundvkist.  The installation takes visitors into Sundvkist’s philosophical approaches and deep reflections on the Swedish cultural construct, slöjd, or handcraft. As a wood worker he is famous for his impressive ornaments and beautiful carved objects including bowls, stools, chairs, sculptures, cupboards, spoons and trays. Presented in collaboration with Hemslöjden, The National Association of Swedish Handicraft Societies.
• Form is an installation that features six signature collections by Swedish National Living Treasure, Ingegerd Råman.  Internationally lauded for her simple, timeless, and highly functional ceramics and glassworks, the installation peels back Råman’s distinctive style where form, function and aesthetic are in constant dialogue with each other.  She is a legendary designer in glass and ceramics who for almost five decades has worked with such acclaimed Swedish Glassworks such as Johansfors, Skruf and Orrefors. She more recently designed a line for Ikea focusing on natural fibers. Presented in collaboration with Svensk Form, the Swedish Society of Crafts and Design.
• Rites of Passage is a deeply moving installation that explores the motifs, metaphors and archetypes that have dominated the work of Sweden’s leading figure in international glass, Bertil Vallien.  Arranged together for the first time as a whole, this installation is at once a personal exploration of what motivates Vallien’s obsessive fascination with boats, bridges, portals, paths and at the same time evokes a universal appreciation for passing through life’s different stages. This body of work explores the meanings behind passing through life’s different stages, celebrating this Swedish master’s drive for innovation that has inspired artisans the world over.  For more than five decades, Vallien has delved into both the mystical and narrative and worked as a guest teacher at the Universities of Chicago and Minnesota, the Rhode Island School of Design and the Pilchuck School of Glass, forming an important link between the U.S. and Sweden. Presented in collaboration with The Glass Factory.