Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum "Finnish Glass Art: Modern Design with Brilliance and Color"

Scandinavia and Finland are countries with rich nature, represented by vast forests and lakes. Finnish furniture, interiors, tableware, and other products that boast sophisticated beauty as well as functionality have been loved for a long time and have continued to grow in popularity in Japan in recent years.

Finland, which gained independence from Russia in 1917, promoted modernism in various aspects in order to build a new nation and regain national identity amid growing nationalism. The field of glass is no exception, and in the 1930s, international exhibitions such as the Milan Triennale and the World's Fair, as well as many domestic competitions for them, demanded more modern design. It was around this time that the artistically oriented product "Art Glass" created by the designer began to have a Finnish feel.
After World War II, "art glass" offered by young designers competed to play a part in national reconstruction, and in the 1950s, Finnish glass art developed further, gaining international fame and demonstrating its presence in the world design world.

This exhibition focuses on works designed by designers themselves under the name of "art glasses" and created through collaborative work with craftsmen. Tracing the genealogy of Finnish glass art, focusing on the approximately 140 fine works created by eight designers and writers from the rise of the 1930s to the golden age that began in the 1950s.
How did artists confront and explore the material of glass, and push the possibilities of their creations? In addition to the charm of the works that continue to shine, this is an opportunity to get a glimpse of the beliefs and challenges of each era and artist, as well as the messages and thoughts that are put into it.