Carina Seth Andersson, the versatile and renowned designer, is showcasing her latest exhibition at Galleri Glas in Stockholm.
Carina is celebrated for her impressive projects and groundbreaking contributions to the design world, having collaborated with prestigious companies such as Svenskt Tenn, Arket, Poltrona Frau, Skruf, Iittala, and Marimekko. She has designed glass and ceramic pieces for Sweden's Nationalmuseum and created several modern classics, including the iconic Dagg vase for Svenskt Tenn.
Ulrika Lindqvist: Congratulations on your new exhibition at Galleri Glas! Please tell me a little about how you got the idea for the exhibition.
Carina Seth Andersson: The idea behind the exhibition is a continuation of work that has been going on for several years—working with free-blown glass. But the goal was to let the glass become a bit rough, to mix in chamotte, lava, different sands, soda—to somehow remove the glossy, sparkling glass, and in a positive sense, to “dirty” the glass. For me, the space is important. It became clear fairly early on that I wanted to gather the glass in one area, not spread out across the room, so that the objects can interact with each other, becoming solitaires but also forming a unit during this exhibition.
UL: Could you tell us a bit about how you started as an artist? Was there a decisive moment when you realized this was what you wanted to do?
CSA: No… there wasn’t a direct plan. Maybe I didn’t know at all, or maybe it was so obvious that I couldn’t see it. It’s been a process that has always been ongoing—a constant engagement in projects since I was very young. It was nothing I thought about and not something that was a goal in itself.
UL: Please tell us about your creative process. How do your ideas go from being just ideas to becoming glass objects? What was the process for this exhibition?
CSA: It's hard to answer. The process has no clear beginning and perhaps no end. I think about form, silhouettes, shadows… about what happens when you place two or more objects together or apart.
UL: Do you have any specific routines that help you get into your creative mindset?
CSA: Between different projects, I need to clean up, rearrange, make the studio empty, to start fresh again. I also need periods of rest and solitude to find my way back.
UL: Where did you find your inspiration for this exhibition?
CSA: For my work on Mono, I have looked a lot at structures in nature, like how sand moves in water. But I've also been inspired by various objects throughout history, particularly in medicine/pharmacy. However, it's something that's constantly evolving and stretches over many years.
UL: Can you tell us a memorable moment from your career?
CSA: A long time ago, I made a series of large bowls shaped like a lotus for Iittala’s Relation. At the press preview in Finland, an older woman came up to me and said she was so happy that I made bowls big enough to bathe her feet in. I love when the user takes over an object and makes it their own in their own way.
UL: Do you have a specific project or object that you’re the proudest of?
CSA: There is so much that could have turned out better, but also worse. I am very grateful to have the opportunity to do amazing collaborations with different clients. But just as important is when I, like with the Mono exhibition, get to work on completely free objects, entirely from myself and my studio, at my own pace. I am very thankful for this combination, and one thing supports the other.
UL: What are your plans for the future?
CSA: Right now, after the exhibition, I plan to install a public bronze sculpture at Lokstallarna in Hagastaden.
Carina Seth Andersson
Mono
4 september - 9 oktober
Galleri Glas, Nybrogatan 34
