Glød: The spark of creation – glass art on Bornholm

Entering Glød Glas Studio just outside Nexø is like walking into a candy store for the eyes. More art than craft, vases and bowls combine colours, translucent patterns and soft shapes into unique demonstrations of human creativity and century-old handcraft. This summer, the studio will be open for visitors throughout the week.

Seven years ago, Danish Tobias Sode and Norwegian Lene Jacobsen bought an old bus garage and former seed storage on Balka beach, just outside Nexø. Today, they have turned the derelict building into a stunning glass studio, where huge wooden beams and glass cases soaked in natural light, frame a striking display of the owners’ unique glasswork. And, visitors can not only view and buy the glasswork but also explore the workshop and work process. “Of course, our main focus is on creating, we are an active workshop, but we love having visitors and are very happy to answer questions as we work,” says Jacobsen.

The colourful translucent patterns of Glød Glas Studio’s vases and bowls are the result of a challenging glass-blowing technique known as the Venetian technique. Photo: Kristoffer Linus

Directly translated, the name Glød means ‘ember’, but it also carries within it the meaning of a spark that keeps something alive; that spark is what fuelled Sode and Jacobsen through the six-year-long process of creating their own glass studio, which opened last spring.

“Since opening, we have had a lot of people who seem quite blown away when they enter our studio; they are surprised by what they see. That’s a good feeling when people see the beauty in what you do,” adds Sode. ”There is a lot of glass on Bornholm, and many people walk in here expecting a display of glasses and water carafes, and we don’t have that at all – we do vases and bowls. But what really captures people’s attention is the technique.”

Photo: Kristoffer Linus

The technique which creates the striking colours on display is known as the Venetian technique and has been practised for centuries on the small island of Murano in Italy. It is, however, a highly challenging technique, which it has taken the two glassblowers years to refine.

Photo: Kristoffer Linus

Little works of art

Having met at the Swedish glass-blowing school in Kosta (now closed) in 2001, Sode and Jacobsen quickly realised that they were both keen to do more with their craft than work in a regular glass factory. Thus, after graduating, they set out to explore new schools and techniques around the world. Along the way, they got more experience with the Venetian technique. “I have always been fascinated by that way of working with glass; it is extremely advanced, and I longed to master it. But it takes a lot of practice,” says Sode.

One of the barriers to working with the technique is the high cost of the energy used by the ovens necessary in glass manufacturing. “When you work with glass the way we do, it is inevitable that each piece turns into a unique little work of art,” explains Sode.

Photo: Kasper Agergaard

Glass design and art

Upon completing their travels, the couple ended up in Ebeltoft in Denmark, where Sode worked with Finn Lynggaard, one of the first Danes to work with glass as an art form. After a couple of moves, they eventually became part of Bornholm’s thriving artisan community, where they have now lived and worked for more than 15 years.

But while the opening of their glass studio, might be the culmination of a long journey, Sode and Jacobsen continue to explore and push their craft. “This summer, we will be working on doing larger works,” says Sode. We did not get around to that last year because it is a very complex and expensive process, but it is something we want to explore more.”

Photo: Kasper Agergaard

Moreover, the couple will be working to expand the studio’s design line, a collection of stylish craft pieces affordable for everyone. “We love to make unique pieces of art,” explains Sode and concludes: “But we also want the people who are not able to pay 3000 DKK for a vase to be able to bring something home with them.”

Photo: Kasper Agergaard

Web: www.glodglasstudio.dk
Instagram: @glodglasstudio
Facebook: glodglasstudio

Glød Glass Studio is located by the Balka Beach, two kilometres outside Nexø, Bornholm
The studio will be at the Frue Plads marked in Copenhagen 8-10 August 2024.
Works can also be viewed via the studio’s Instagram and website.