LIVE 24-SEVEN
A BUY E R’ S GUIDE ULRICA HYDMAN-VALLIEN 1938 - 2018
Sadly the world lost one of its greats this year, with the passing of Ulrica Hydman-Vallien. A true and original talent who can certainly not be accused of being ordinary, anything but in fact, her designs had a unique and distinctive style instantly recognisable and universally loved, especially in her home country of Sweden.
She was the embodiment of Swedish glass art and no living Swedish artist could have claimed anywhere near her levels of popularity and public affection. Whether creating a whole collection or one-of-a-kind pieces, she placed the same passion into every piece. Colourful and creative, bold, even brash, her signature style features Picasso like faces in bold sweeping strokes teamed with her favourite motifs such as tulips or serpents.
Will Farmer is our antiques & collectors expert, he is well known for his resident work on the Antiques Roadshow, he has also written for the popular ‘Miller’s Antique Guide’. Those in the know will have also come across him at ‘Fieldings Auctioneers’. We are delighted that Will writes for Live 24-Seven, he brings with him a wealth of knowledge and expertise.
Ulrica’s natural talent for art was recognised at an early age and she became a student at the College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm at just 17 years old, which then led to further studies in the USA and Mexico. Throughout her career, she worked on a huge and diverse range of products, including designs for textiles, ceramics, luggage and even phone cases, however it’s her work in glass that provided her furthest reach and for which she will be remembered the most.
While Ulrica reached a wide public through her highly original art glass, it was as a ceramasist that she originally established her reputation as an artist. Her essentially sculptural ceramic art won acclaim for the skill and affection with which it portrayed our human foibles. Simultaneously, her very special and assertive contribution to the "refined" art of pencil drawing helped to establish her as an artist to be reckoned with.
The Swedish craft industry has a long tradition of engaging leading artists to design its products and the glass industry in particular was not slow in recognising Ulrica’s talent, keen to persuade her to design glass. For many years she was reluctant to give up her freedom as an artist, however in time, the challenge of the task and the realisation that the livelihoods of many people were dependent on the glassworks being able to produce new and saleable products caused her to reconsider.
Over the years she has produced glass for Åfors / Kosta Boda, producing not only a succession of breathtaking unique works of art, but also developing new techniques for producing her designs on a larger scale. Like the best books, her glass, regardless of how many pieces are produced, retains a quality of being unique to the beholder – a new work of art for each new purchaser. In addition, everything was hand-painted by the skilled artists in the studio, where Ulrica
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