Micke Johansson

Get to know

Micke Johansson is the natural talent who once became Sweden's youngest master glassblower. He works mainly in the ariel and grail techniques, testing possibilities and challenging the techniques. The Ariel technique, which means "spirit of air" was developed by Gustav Bergkvist in 1936. "The finest glass blowing technique is Ariel", says Micke Johansson who has developed and refined the technique and is now the only one to blow the so-called double ariel. He is the master glassblower who can conjure with the glass pipe and an obvious feature in an art collection for the future. The new exhibition catalogue will be published november 24th at 09:00. Below you see examples of available existing works.

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Get to know Micke Johansson

MICKE JOHANSSON - GLASS MASTER AND MAGICIAN

Micke Johansson became a glass master at the early age of 24 and is today famous for his incredibly advanced works of art in various combinations of the techniques Graal, Ariel and sculpted glass. He has developed the Double Ariel technique himself and is probably the only one in the world to be able to perform it. Micke learned the playfulness and humility to dare to test, experiment and push the boundaries of Nordic glass art at the Pilchuck Glass School in the USA. Ulrica Hydman Vallien ensured that he received a scholarship to learn how to handle Italian thin glass in combination with the slightly heavier Nordic tradition.

"i started in the glass school right after high school. The plan was to learn engraving, but it turned out that I was a natural talent at glass blowing. Already after a few months, Orrefors came and offered me permanent employment as a 16-year-old." - Micke Johansson

Photo: Hans Runesson

PRECISION WORK WITH MINIMUM MARGINS OF ERROR

A Double Ariel takes several weeks of complete concentration to complete to perfection. During the entire process, the margins of error for Micke are extremely small.

"All it takes is for an open door to let in a cold gust of winter air at the wrong time, and the hot glass mass risks cooling down in the wrong way and the whole piece can explode." - Mike Johansson

The Ariel technique was invented at Orrefors by Gustav Bergknist in the 1930s. The name comes from Shakespeare's play "The Storm" where the spirit of the air is named Ariel. Creating an Ariel involves rolling glass in layers upon layers over each other and trapping air in prepared sandblasted patterns between them. The air trapped inside the glass creates imaginative patterns in different layers that float freely in the solid glass. A double Ariel means that the technique is repeated twice.

GLASS MASTER AND DESIGNER - A RARE COMBINATION

Micke Johansson both designs and blows his masterpieces in glass. It is an unusual combination to master both disciplines at a high level. We get to experience a colorful dance created in the remarkable art form of glassblowing. Exquisite craftsmanship and artistry created in perfect temperature balance with the red-hot ovens. The solid glass seethes with life when the different layers of glass become prisms where the light plays. In Micke's art glass works, Ariel's soul is captured - a spirit of air.

TO CONSTANTLY CHALLENGE THE LIMIT OF THE POSSIBLE

After almost 30 years as a glass master, Micke Johansson is still full of ideas for techniques and combinations he wants to test and develop.

"It was thought that the air I captured in the double ariels would never last. That it would become unstable and crack. It certainly worked, and I have a bunch of other ideas and experiments going on. I have 30 years left in my career, who knows what will happen…”

- Micke Johansson

SECURE DELIVERY

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KOMMANDE EVENTS & UTSTÄLLNINGAR MED GALLERI MELEFORS

MICKE JOHANSSON

29 NOVEMBER 2024

GALLERI MELEFORS, LINKÖPING

CHRISTIAN KOIVUMAA

2 - 6 OCT 2024

NACKA STRANDMÄSSAN, STHLM