Glass wares by Willy Johansson, Norway

Willy Johansson (1921-1993) was a Norwegian glassware designer. Between 1939-42, he studied Statens Handvaerks -og Kunstindustriskole Oslo. His father worked at the Hadelands Glassverk, Jevnaker, where Willy Johansson joined the glassmaking workshop there in 1936. He was best known for the white rim on his clear or smoked glassware.

The father and son Johanssons contributed significantly to expanding the range and improving the quality of Hadelands’s tablewares. He designed mass production items, as well as one-off wares. From 1942-45, he worked in the sand blowing section at Hadelands under sculptor Staale Kyllingstad; from 1945-47, in the engraving workshop of Christiania Glasmagasin and at the night school of Statens Handvaerks -og Kunstindustriskole.

He won numerous international awards for his designs, including a diploma at the Milan Triennale in 1954, a gold medal in 1957 for his Tone vases and bowls and a silver medal in more... 1960. Thirteen of his works received the Award for Design from 1966 to 1972, and a series of wine glasses called Rod received the Classic Award for Design Excellence in 2002. Along with Jacob Prytz, he received the Jacob Prize the first year it was awarded in 1957.

His work is represented in design museums around the world, such as the Corning Museum of Glass in New York, and he had numerous solo exhibitions.

Willy Johansson remained with Hadeland until he retired in 1988. less...