ANN Wåhlström

Born in Stockholm 1957. Swedish artist and designer Ann Wåhlström has a background both as a glassblower and a designer. She studied glassblowing at the Glass School in Orrefors and then went to the United States, where she came in contact with studio glass at Pilchuck Glass School. Later she attended the Konstfack School of Art and Design in Stockholm and Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in Providence, United States. She was a designer for Kosta Boda 1986-2005.

 Wåhlström’s work is as varied in material as it is color. Her strong aesthetic ties together her wide use of graphic lines and sweeping arcs whether applied to the flat surface of textiles or the fluid forms of glass. Her inspiration comes from nature, ancient architecture, and children’s book illustration. She cites Moomin creator Tove Jansson as a huge influence.

 Wåhlström is based in Stockholm where she combines artistic work in glass with freelance design and has made several bodies of work in Seattle and Tacoma studios since 2003. The collaboration with the glass blowers to create the designs made on paper is the most fantastic and energetic meeting for Wåhlström. The current collection we have of her work was created during her Artist Residency at Museum of Glass-Tacoma.

 EDUCATION

 1981-82 The National College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm, Sweden (under Paula Bartron and Bertil Vallien)

1980 Rhode Island School of Design (under Dale Chihuly), Providence, USA.

1979 The Pilchuck Glass School (with Dale Chihuly), Washington State, USA.

1979 The Glass School in Orrefors, Sweden

1977-78 Capellagården, Öland, Sweden (ceramics)

APPRENTICESHIPS

1982 Teaching Assistant, Pilchuck Glass School, USA.

1981 With James Carpenter Design Assoc. Inc., New York, USA.

1979 With Ann Wolff / Wilke Adolfsson, Stenhytta, Transjö, Sweden

EXPERIENCE/ COMMISSIONS

2017 Design for Design House Stockholm, Sweden (porcelain)

2013 Teaching at Pilchuck Glass School USA

2012 Guest Artist, Museum of Glass, Tacoma, USA

2010 Design for Stockholm’s Glasbruk Skansen, Sweden (glass)

2009 Guest Artist Museum of Glass, Tacoma, USA

2009 Design for Micael Bindefeld / Via, Sweden (glass)

2008 Design for Svenskt Tenn, Stockholm Sweden (glass)

2008 Design for Design House Stockholm, Sweden (glass)

2005, 06, 08 Visiting Artist, Museum of Glass, Tacoma, USA

2005 Design of centerpieces for Pilchuck Auction, Pilchuck, USA (glass)

2004 Design commission for Tupperware Corp., USA (plastic)

2003 Visiting Artist, Museum of Glass, Tacoma, USA

1996 Design commission for Kinnasand, Sweden (textile)

1994- 2006 Guest teacher at Beckman’s School, Stockholm, Sweden

1993 Designs for Ikea of Sweden (ceramics)

1992 Designs for Cappellini International “Proggetto Oggetto” (metal)

1991 Designs for Element Design, Stockholm, Sweden (glass)

1989, 2000, 07 Teacher at the Pilchuck Glass School, USA.

1988 Design commission for Boda Nova, Sweden, ceramics “Arto”

1987 Design commission for Silver & Stål AB, Sweden “Cultura Metal”

1986 - 2005 Designing for Kosta Boda, Sweden

1982-1986 Studio glass producer in Sweden, Switzerland and USA. Working in design studios, Katja of Sweden, New York and James Carpenter Design Assoc. Inc., New York

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2017 Stones & Vessels, Galleri Glas Stockholm Sweden

2016 Lines, Galleri Mårtenson & Persson, Stockholm Sweden

2015 Imposant Transparens, Galleri NIVÅ 125, Båstad, Sweden

2015 Expressions, The Finish Glass Museum, Riihimäki, Finland

2014 Capellagården Öland, Sweden

2013 Färg & Form I Glas, Smålands Museum, Växjö, Sweden

2013 Körsbärsgårdens Konsthall, Gotland, Sweden

2013 Threads, Galleri Mårtenson & Persson Stockholm, Sweden

2010 Madras, Galleri Mårtenson & Persson Stockholm, Sweden

2007 Nytt Glas, Galleri Mårtenson & Persson, Stockholm, Sweden

2006 Nytt Glas ,Galleri Mårtenson & Persson, Båstad Sweden

2003 Soapbubbles and Clouds, Anita Collection Oslo, Norway

2002 Blackandwhite, Galerie Kaplanen, Visby, Sweden

2002 Blackandwhite, David Jones Gallery, Sydney, Australia

2002 Blackandwhite, Block Arcade, Melbourne, Australia

2001 Blackandwhite, Nordiska Kristall, Stockholm, Sweden

2000 Cyklon, Svensk Form / Ateljéhuset, Stockholm, Sweden

1999 Cyklon, Smålands Museum, Växjö, Sweden

1999 Cyklon, Form Design Center, Malmö, Sweden

1994 Blue Snails Green Seahorses, Orrefors Kosta Boda Galleri, New York, Costa Mesa, USA.

1994 Blue Snails Green Seahorses, Galleriet, Växjö, Sweden

1993 Blue Snails Green Seahorses, NK, Stockholm, Sweden

1993 Blue Snails Green Seahorses, Kosta Boda Djurgården, Stockholm, Sweden

1993 Blue Snails Green Seahorses, Galleri Stallet, Falsterbo, Sweden

1991 Två Sorters Glas, Galleri Stallet, Falsterbo, Sweden

1991 Tankar om Glas, Kalmar Konstmuseum, Sweden

1991 Nytt Glas, NK, Stockholm, Sweden

1990 Tivoli, Galleri Stallet, Falsterbo, Sweden

1986 Saturnus, (with Gunnel Sahlin) Kosta Boda Djurgården, Stockholm, Sweden

1985 Gallery Nilsson/New Glass, New York, USA.

1984 Nordiska kompaniet, Tid & Rum, Stockholm, Sweden

1984 Galleri Rosengången, Lerum, Sweden

1982 Scanform, New York, USA.

MUSEUM COLLECTIONS

Nordenfjeldske Kunstindustri Museum, Trondheim, Norway

Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, New York, U.S.A.

Ebeltoft Glasmuseum, Ebeltoft, Denmark

The Montreal Museum of Decorative Arts, Canada

Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth, Australia

The Chicago Atheneum, Museum of Architecture of Design

Smålands Museum/Kulturparken Småland, Växjö, Sweden

National Museum, Stockholm, Sweden

Museum of Glass, Tacoma, USA

Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis Indiana USA

Röhsska Museet, Museum of Design and Craft, Gothenburg Sweden

Victoria and Albert Museum, London UK

AWARDS

2014 Working Grant, Konstnärsnämnden Stockholm Sweden

2000 Excellent Swedish Form (Hot Pink)

1995 Excellent Swedish Form (Cypress candlesticks)

1992 Traveling grant, Kulturnämnden, Stockholm, Sweden

1992 Excellent Swedish Form (Johansfors series)

1989 Excellent Swedish Form (Cultura Metal)

1988 Excellent Swedish Form (Mezzo)

1985 Working grant, Konstnärsnämnden, The Arts Grants Committee

1985 Working Grant at New York Experimental Glass Workshop

1984 Working grant, Ekelund's Foundation for the Crafts, Stockholm, Sweden

1984 Artist grant, Kulturförvaltningen, The City of Stockholm

1980 Traveling grant, The Swedish Assoc. for Crafts & Design (Svensk Form)

BIBLIOGRAPHY (selected)

Stones and Vessels, Galleri Glas, text by Hedvig Hedqvist, 2017

Kosta 250 years - 250 years of craftsmanship, Margareta Artéus, Kosta Boda,1992

Cyklon - 20 years of molten glass, Annica Kvint, Kosta Boda,1999

Svenska Former, S Helgesson & K Nyberg, Prisma, Stockholm, 2000

The Best in Swedish Design, S Helgesson & K Nyberg, Mitchell Beazly, 2002

Bordel de Mode, Cay Bond, W & W, 2002

Scandinavian Design 1900-2002 , Charlotte and Peter Fiell, Taschen, 2003

Svensk Form – Internationell Design, Hedvig Hedqvist, DN, 2002

Dish-International Design for the home, Julie Müller Stahl, Princeton Architectural Press

European Design since 1985,Shaping the New Century, R. Craig Miller/ Penny Sparke /Catherine McDermott.Merrell, 2009