THE FUTURE OF FINNISH GLASS

by Sara Hulkokken

Finnish Art Glass has a unique history that continues to shape its evolution. However, developments in education, industry, and private studios are contributing to new directions and possibilities for the future. In this article, I ask where the Finnish Glass field could be heading, and the factors that are driving change. I explain the foundations that guide the future of glassmaking in Finland, based over 20 years of experience as a student, maker, and educator in Finland. For the past 12 years, I have actively been exposed to North American ways of making glass, and I intently follow the European hot glass scene. The article is focused specifically on addressing the field of Finnish blown glass.

To address possibilities in the future of hot glass in Finland, it is important to consider its historical background. After WW2, glass design grew to a significant prominence and international recognition that still has a strong influence on the industry of contemporary Finnish glass. The Studio Glass Movement never really took hold in the country beyond product-based glass design. Although Finnish glass holds a much shorter history, smaller maker community, and more narrow range of techniques and products than many European glass leaders, the quality of glass and design produced in the country has been held in high esteem, internationally.

Today, glass continues to be a small trade in Finland. Currently, there are approximately 100 glassblowers in the country. The largest employer is the only remaining glass factory, Iittala, where designs by Oiva Toikka, Tapio Wirkkala, Alvar Aalto, and Timo Sarpaneva continue to be realized posthumously by production glassmakers. Along with the factory, there are two main glass sites, Riihimäki and Nuutajärvi, where glassblowing lives on by independent makers. The glassblowing facilities of these two sites have their homes in buildings that in the past were famous glass factories. In addition, there are a couple more private hot shops elsewhere in the country.

All in all, there are three school hot glass studios in Finland: One in Ikaalinen School of Crafts, one at Tavastia Vocational College (Nuutajärvi), and one at Aalto University in Espoo. Beyond these shops, the Iittala glass factory has an area designated as a learning space for the vocational students of the factory.

The Aalto University hot shop is run by a workshop master who also realizes the designs by the design students. The vocational glass studios are run by teachers, and at the factory the students learn together with a teacher and a workplace instructor.

To learn hot glass techniques in Finland, students apply to vocational, secondarylevel training. Ikaalinen School of Crafts and Tavastia Vocational College are the two schools which offer degree-based studies in hot glass. In practice, the vocational training takes two years. The students graduate as artisans after completing the Vocational Qualification in Arts and Design. Technically, the secondary level degree means that students have gained the basic knowledge of hot glass but are not yet competent glassblowers. To later earn a degree as a glassblower, or as a master glassblower, the competence-based vocational education system enables it through workplace training. Mostly, the further qualifications are completed at the glass factory. For an independent glassmaker, it is possible to take the qualification through their work as an entrepreneur or as employed in a small studio. Yearly, there is only a small number of students graduating from the vocational training and an even smaller number stays in the field. It is unlikely any changes are coming to the field soon. One reason is that currently there is no tertiary level education offering glass blowing studies in Finland. Furthermore, for a beginner glassmaker there are not many job opportunities to continue learning in the trade.

Compared to several other European countries, or to the US, it might be a surprise that one cannot study glassblowing techniques in BA/BFA or MA/MFA programs in Finland. With a strong background in glass design, the universities continue to educate designers who then collaborate with makers. The closest bachelor-level programs in glass are either in Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm Sweden, or at the Royal Danish Academy (Crafts in Glass and Ceramics) on Bornholm, Denmark.

Despite the somewhat slow development of Finnish glass education, it seems to be heading to a more Studio Glass-oriented way of making. Among the vocational students, there is a clear and growing demand for learning skills towards independently made art and/or production glass. An interesting phenomenon is that some applicants to the vocational training already possess an academic degree in design. This is not common but could indicate a demand for maker-based training for students within academia. On the other hand, it also indicates flexibility of the Finnish education system, where it is possible to jump from the tertiary level back to secondary level. From my perspective, the student experience in arts-based and conceptual learning could be a valuable addition to the otherwise technicallyfocused training with glass.

A concept that I believe has an impact on the future of handcrafted glass in Finland is collaborative workshops with vocational and academic students. Since 2010, we at Tavastia Vocational College have arranged ProtoShopGlass sessions together with different Finnish universities. For these assemblies, the design students come with their drawings and/or molds to get their ideas prototyped in glass. The glass students learn how to realize the designs made by design students. During the sessions both student groups learn about collaboration, dialogue, techniques, and materials in an affordable way. The pedagogical focus is set on the future of glass. Through introducing the students from different schools and education levels to each other, we create new partnerships and enable a platform for easier communication for the future professionals.

Occasionally, the ProtoShopGlass collaborates with professional designers. Their latest project with Kirsti Taiviola, whose altar piece Auringon laulu (Canticle of the Sun) for Söderkulla Church in Sipoo, Finland (2021) was realized in Tavastia’s ProtoShopGlass. Before the pandemic hit, the students worked in teams and made 365 mold blown cylinders based to Taiviola’s design. Another recent collaboration with a designer Anne Hirvonen was based on using recycled waste glass for casting and blowing.

Iittala Glass Factory is a rarity in the Nordic countries. With over 140 years of history in the industry, the factory continues to make mouth blown glass. Today, Iittala employs around 70 glassmakers working with hot glass. A handful of them are master glassblowers with their own working teams. Most of the factory production is mold blown vases, lamp shades, drinking glasses, and pitchers designed by renowned Finnish designers. Newer collaborations include work made with international designers. One of the most famous designs, the glass birds of the late Oiva Toikka, continue to be made by a dedicated team.

In January 2021, Tavastia Vocational College started educating new glass artisans collaboratively with the factory, inside the factory. The estimated outcome is to have factory workers who already have basic knowledge of hot glass before starting to work as full-time glassworkers at the factory. The factory training path is a more secure direction towards income within glass than working as an independent maker.

An example of Iittala’s commitment to sustainability is the research and development of glass batch. They continue to work toward replacing harmful ingredients of the batch with more safe and environmentally friendly materials. Iittala’s role is strong in the Finnish glass community. Decisions like starting vocational beginner education inside the factory and developing both the clear and colored glass shape the future of glass making in Finland.

The two larger glass communities in Finland, Riihimäki and Nuutajärvi, have steadily been growing as the places where New Finnish Glass is made. The Lasismi Co-Op, the Mafka & Alakoski studios in Riihimäki, and the Lasikomppania studio in Nuutajärvi are examples of collaboration, determination, and love of glass. Now, the independent side of art glass making is growing stronger. In the practices and approaches of independent studios, this could finally mark the Studio Glass Movement establishing growth in Finland. However, the relatively small communities do need stronger collaboration to continue this development.

The trends over the past decade of Finnish glass indicate growth and provide space for this to continue. It is very likely to see more Finnish makers and their work emerging in the international glass scene. The worldwide connections are meaningful and inspiring for the students and professionals. Within the sphere of education, partnerships such as Erasmus+ and students on-thejob learning in foreign countries will show their importance regarding the future. Furthermore, having a growing international glass community in Finland has shown to secure the development of independently made art glass. To keep glassmaking alive in a small economic area like Finland, global relations and collaboration is essential.

Finland can be a leader in turning glass towards greener thinking and technology. Recent changes at the Aalto University glass studio indicate about this shift. With the glass studio master Slate Grove, the university has taken a leading role in developing sustainable energy consumption in the hot shop. This serves as an example for the other two school studios in Finland, as well as the private shops. The Iittala glass factory is changing its energy policies and glass recipes to meet the high sustainability standards.

Finland is one of the European countries on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in handcrafted glass. Since 2017, glassblowing has been recognized as a national living heritage in Finland, and nationally documented as part of the UNESCO’s Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The UNESCO’s decision on the multinational application will be received in December 2023. The recognition and developments of the glass art field on national and regional levels, in educational institutions, and the evolution of the professional field of glass production and design show a promising growth in Finnish handcrafted glass.

Sara Hulkkonen is a doctoral researcher in the field of Design at the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, holding a MA in Art Education from the Aalto University and a Specialist Vocational Qualification in Glassblowing (Master Glassblower). Since 2009, Hulkkonen has taught glassblowing at Tavastia Vocational College.

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