Glass for a more luxurious breakfast gave this year's scholarship from Svenskt Tenn

Patterns that create harmony

Second year students at Product design have spent six weeks exploring glass in collaboration with Svensk Tenn. The assignment the students were given by the company was to create a product or product series on the theme "The set table".

- Something that I feel permeates Svenskt Tenn is the sense of randomness, how they mix different patterns and how traditional is mixed with modern. Josef Frank talked about how different patterns in the room create harmony, which is a mindset that is also evident in Estrid Ericson's table settings. These are the thoughts I have carried with me throughout my process and the pattern in my glass will create that harmony," says Arpie Amirians. 

She has created the stripes using optical glassblowing, a technique that creates different patterns in glass. Through Svenskt Tenn's scholarship, she will now have an additional 4 hours in the foundry at Stockholm Glas to explore and experiment with, among other things, optical blowing and produce more prototypes. 

"Great potential in the products" 

The jury was impressed by the way she developed her original idea - an egg cup for a more luxurious breakfast - to include a drinking glass. 

"From what may seem like simple sketches, the student has worked further and the product has gained its own expression and a broader range of uses. We are awarding this year's scholarship to Arpie Amirians for her egg cup, which we see as a small glass as well, and for her drinking glass Ova. We see great potential in these two products, both in continuing to explore how different optic shapes could provide different variations, continuing to sketch what more parts of an Ova ice cream set could look like, and what the glasses could look like in colour. We simply want to see more of Ova and see possible future possibilities that they could be sold at Svenskt Tenn," the jury wrote in its motivation.

Two honorary mentions were awarded

The two honorary mentions went to Gustav Winsth and to Emma Falkenhed. Gustav was recognised for his vase Skjuv in which strictly cylindrical surfaces separated meet, shear and float on smooth organic air cushions, creating a weightless expression and originality in each piece. Emma was recognised for her glass Basket where the structure of a basket fading out around the water glass enhances the tactile aspect of the glass. 

Study visits and visiting teachers 

During the course, the class has made several study visits, including Svenskt Tenn's store in Stockholm, and during a tour of the Glass Kingdom in Småland when they visited Skruf's glassworks and The Glass Factory Boda Glasbruk. The teacher in charge of the course has been Peter Nylander, lecturer at Product design. Guest teachers were Gustaf Nordenskiöld and Simon Klenell, guest critic was Carina Seth Andersson. The actual glass blowing took place for the first time in collaboration with Stockholm Glas in Gustavsberg, where Simon Klenell, Rasmus Nossbring and Liu Chien Kuang blew up the students' proposals. Thommy Bindefeld and Ebba von Blixen represented Svenskt Tenn.