Ulf Johansson at Sjöhyttan

Ulf Johansson is a first rate artist when it comes to glass. He runs his own shop in Älghult in Kingdom of Crystal. Upon entering his studio, one can't help but notice the displays of beautiful items surrounding an artist who is steadily at work. He moves quickly and purposefully from station to station creating his next masterpiece. Still, he has time to talk and joke with anyone who enters his shop. He is more than happy to explain what he is doing and does so with a twinkle in his eye. He is a genuine man with a genuine love for his work. His pieces vary greatly from oriental in theme to modern art. Much of his work is done in strong colors, whether opaque or transparent, which results in eye-catching pieces. He has so much variety to choose from that the decision of what to buy can be extremely difficult. Ulf Johansson's background includes the prestigious Orrefors Glassworks where he worked as Master of Glass for 12 years. In 1985 he chose to start his own artglass studio, Sjöhyttan, where he could express and develop his ideas. In Sjöhyttan, he designs and blows his own glass.

His ambition is to mix traditional art glass with new ideas and techniques. His artglass glows with optimism and is shown in several galleries around Scandinavia. "The future looks bright with possibilites to preserve this art form. Sometimes I think I have come across something new in form and technique, but then I realize that most of it has been done before. My work consists of a mixture of traditional and modern techniques."