Ola and Marie Höglund

Ola Höglund (born 1956) and Marie Höglund (b.1955) are Swedish-New Zealand glass artists. They met at the age of fifteen, trained at the same glass school, and have almost always worked collaboratively.[1]

Training

Marie Simberg-Höglund was born in 1955 in Gothenburg, Sweden and trained at Orrefors Glass Studios and then Kosta Boda.[2] After focusing on engraving at Kosat Boda, Marie went on to two years studying handweaving and fabric design at Emmaboda College.[3]: 15 

Ola Höglund was born in 1956 in Stockholm, Sweden. Between 1972 and 1977 he trained at Orrefors Glass Studios and Kosta Boda.[2]

Work in Sweden and Swaziland

In 1977 the two worked together at Vastkusthyttans Art Glass Studio, Marie as a designer-engraver and Ola as a designer-glassblower.[3]: 15  From there they were sent in 1978 to Swaziland by the Swedish International Development Authority, where they spent three years there establishing a workshop and teaching glassblowing skills.[1][3]: 15 

Work in New Zealand

In 1982, they emigrated to Nelson, New Zealand. Shortly after they arrived, potter Jack Laird invited them to set up a studio at Craft Habitat in Nelson, where they remained for 9 years.[1] In 1994 they established Höglund Glassblowing Studio in Nelson.[2]

Ola typically blows the glass and Marie applies the surface treatment to the objects they create.[1] Laird, writing about their work in 1987, noted that 'They see themselves as a team, jointly working on all projects, and developing ideas by responding to each other's suggestions and contributions'.[3]: 16  In their artistic practices, they have widely used the graal technique first developed in Sweden in 1916.[2] In 2002, they established Höglund Art Glass Studio in North Queensland as a winter studio.[4] In 1999 the pair opened new gallery showrooms in Auckland, doing the same in Sydney the following year and launching a store in Melbourne in 2001.[5]

In 1999, they were officially appointed glass artists for the America's Cup and they produced glassware for Team New Zealand in 2000 and 2003. In 2000 they were also awarded a license to produce official merchandise for the Sydney Olympics.[1]

Further sources

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Stephens, Joy. "Hoglund Art Glass: A family business". The Prow. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d Schamroth, Helen (1998). 100 New Zealand Craft Artists. Auckland: Random House. p. 36. ISBN 1869620364. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d Laird, Jack (Autumn 1987). "Scandinavian Skills in Nelson". New Zealand Crafts. 20: 15–17.
  4. ^ "Hoglund Art Glass Fires Up in Jungle Paradise!". Art in Tropical Australia. Retrieved 9 December 2014.
  5. ^ Hamilton, Patrick (1 August 2001). "Melbourne outlet continues Hoglund glass expansion". The Nelson Mail. ProQuest 274462887.