Berry Tales

“Everything began with the glowing, growing bubble that I used to observe at the glassblowing studio next door to my atelier. As an early Christmas gift, I was given the possibility to design with the material glass. Once there, my mind wandered from the glowing bubble to nature’s effervescent fractals – the foamy river, frog eggs, and berries. The process guided the shape. A simple bubble with rounds of cut-on glass led to a ripe berry. I displayed my work in Stockholm, where the objects were taken. They have not yet been recovered to me. Years later, I received the Ulrica Hydman Vallien Foundation’s scholarship, which also gave me the opportunity to experiment with glass even more at Kosta Glassworks. Back in the wonderful world of the material, and in those bubbling, billowing shapes, a new idea of berries was born - Berry Tales for Kosta Boda Artist Collection.” – Ellen Ehk Åkesson.

With Roots in Nature

Ellen Ehk Åkesson

Concepts such as searching for one’s roots and digging where you stand may seem like cliches, but they are deeply relevant when it comes to describing the artistic work of Ellen Ehk Åkesson. Ellen (born in 1976) is from the heart of the Kingdom of Crystal in Sweden, where she still lives today. “If I had grown up in the city or by the sea, my art would have been entirely different,” says Ellen. “The forest was my life stage. I never felt like I was visiting the forest. I was a part of it, and I always felt safe there, even in the dark. It was the same forest that my mother and her father played in, which added depth to the context.”

Discover Ellen Ehk Åkesson
Ellen Ehk Åkesson