Starman
Bertil Vallien Sixty Years of Exploring Glass Art

Bertil Vallien (b. 1938) is one of Sweden’s most celebrated designers and glass artists—a visionary whose work has shaped contemporary glassmaking for more than six decades. Known for his groundbreaking approach to sandcasting, Vallien transforms molten glass into evocative sculptures that blur the line between myth and material, memory and form. His iconic glass boats, contemplative heads, and surreal landscapes have become signatures of modern Scandinavian art glass, earning him international acclaim.

For Vallien, creativity begins with the sketchbook. Drawing is his engine—a world where ideas generate new ideas, and where stories first take shape. The glass itself is his second muse: a material that can both conceal and reveal, functioning as a transparent vessel that allows imagery, symbols, and narrative fragments to live within it. His work is rooted in function as much as expression, and he is deeply committed to sustaining the craft traditions and community of Kosta Glassworks, where he has created since joining Kosta Boda in 1963.

Vallien studied at Konstfack, the University of Arts, Crafts, and Design in Stockholm, under the legendary Stig Lindberg, graduating as the school’s top student in 1961. Awarded the Royal Scholarship, he pursued further study in Southern California before returning to Sweden to begin what would become one of the longest and most influential artistic partnerships in Scandinavian design history. Over the decades, he has received numerous international honors, including the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences’ design medal, Imagine Museum’s Artist of the Future award, and the Glass Art Society’s prestigious Visionary Award.

Vallien’s work is represented in more than thirty major collections around the world, including: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts; Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England; National Museum, Stockholm, Sweden; Corning Museum Of Glass, Corning, New York; Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, Japan; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York; State Heritage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia; Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, Australia.

Across continents and generations, Bertil Vallien’s work continues to captivate—a testament to his unrivaled ability to harness glass as both a material and a medium for storytelling. His upcoming exhibition in New York marks another chapter in a remarkable career defined by experimentation, imagination, and enduring artistic impact.