88-Year-Old Celebrated Glass Artist Presents More Than Sixty Years of Creations
After nearly 300 years, Kosta Boda has unquestionably perfected the craft of glassmaking. For generations, this Swedish heritage brand has skillfully merged tradition with innovation, crafting glassware deeply embedded in Scandinavian design values. At the heart of Kosta Boda’s modern triumph is Bertil Vallien. Now, at 88 years old, the artist has traveled all the way from Sweden to Brooklyn for his latest solo exhibition, giving us a look into his lengthy artistic journey.
Held at Robert Lehman Gallery, *Starman: Sixty Years of Exploring Glass Art* features 35 creations by Vallien, each showcasing his inventive technique in glassmaking, his meticulous craftsmanship, and creative themes. Over his 64-year career, he has popularized black glass; mastered the contemporary process of glass sand-casting, earning him global acclaim as the “father of a lost technique;” and, most importantly, pushed the boundaries of what glass can be, in both medium and artistry. This breadth is aptly illustrated in the exhibition, which encompasses everything from clear vessels and disembodied heads to dreamlike sculptures and vibrant vases.
“Glass possesses a truly remarkable quality,” Vallien has stated. “No other substance can captivate in the same way, produce such visual effects, or inspire reflections on both permanence and transience.”
In *Starman*, Vallien’s admiration for glass is showcased with remarkable clarity. Perhaps nothing encapsulates this more than his *Resting Head* series, which, as the name implies, features glass heads with pensive, if not eerie, expressions. Such visages have become a hallmark for Vallien, a recurring theme that remains adaptable to his emotional state. For instance, *Resting Head I* entraps a head within an egg-like structure, its facial details barely discernible through the frosty glass. Conversely, his *Azur* sculptures exhibit a stunning clarity without compromising their striking blue color schemes. Comparing these works further highlights Vallien’s mastery of the medium—in other words, he manages to achieve multiple effects simultaneously.
“Vallien has been engaging with the spirits of glass since 1963, when he started at Åfors Glassworks,” comments Douglas Heller, a consultant for the exhibition. “There, he was afforded the exceptional liberty to fluidly transition between roles—as a designer for mass production and as an independent studio artist. In the years that followed, Vallien transformed the glass landscape.”
For Vallien, that landscape is steeped in myth and wonder. Featured in *Starman* is the *Idun’s Magical Apples* series, a reflection of the artist’s passion for storytelling. These pieces not only allude to Sweden’s national fruit but also to the apple as a foundational element—whether biblical or otherwise—within the life cycle. Moreover, Idun is a Norse goddess whose enchanted apples are believed to bestow everlasting youth, yet another nod to mythological lore. The *Ships* series similarly evokes grandeur, conjuring visions of Norse vessels navigating the perilous seas toward the unknown.
“Even all these years later, it remains just as thrilling to open the annealing oven and watch the glowing, treacherous molten glass transform into ice and cold,” Vallien has remarked. That thrill resonates in this mesmerizing exhibition, not to mention in Vallien’s lasting collaboration with Kosta Boda.
*Starman: Sixty Years of Exploring Glass Art* will be exhibited at Robert Lehman Gallery in Brooklyn until June 7, 2026.