Ernst Billgren, born in 1957 in Danderyd in Sweden, is a designer whose work is characterized by a unique diversity. He works with everything from glass design, sculpture, painting, and scenography, to fiction, film, music, and furniture design. His designs are inspired by mythology, nature, and national romanticism. He explores the contemporary world and often interweaves a questioning of what art is, its purpose, and its limits. Ernst studied at Valand Academy in Gothenburg from 1982 to 1987. For Kosta Boda, he has designed the collection New Friends, which consists of exclusive utility glasses with an artistic touch. Animals are a recurring element in his work, and here they make themselves known at the bottom of every glass in the collection.