Helle Mardahl
Bjørn Friborg

Helle Mardahl is a Danish artist and designer who crafts glass tableware, lamps and vases with organic shapes in sugary hues. Set midway between art and practicality, the universe she creates is a dreamy one. Born in 1976, she graduated from Central Saint Martins in London. Her work now spans sculpture, installation, painting, fashion and interior design, embracing a sense of richness and extravagance with a sensual, nostalgic take. Prompted by her sophisticated taste for contrasts, her highly colourful creations in every imaginable pastel shade are always appealing and seductive, conveying an idea of something that is fragile yet strong at the same time. Her atelier in Copenhagen is reminiscent of a sweet factory. “Glass is such an unpredictable material, and that makes it fascinating to work with. It really does have a life of its own, it requires patience, control, concentration and calm. It is an extraordinarily dynamic, magical artform,” Helle says.

Danish-born Bjørn Friborg (1983) is an artist and glass craftsman of international standing. He defies traditional methods of creation to reinvent the process with a dramatically physical approach that tests the limits of material and technique, as much a performance as a creative process. His passion for the glass he penetrates, manipulates and breaks translates into works of art. Bjørn received a BFA from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts School of Architecture, Design and Conservation in 2013 after studying at Sweden’s Åfors Glasbruk, V.1 Mästare Ingvar Carlsson "Kalle Pack" and at the Kosta Glass School. Helle and Bjørn have forged an extraordinary partnership; they spend a great deal of time at Holmegaard Værk, Denmark’s centre for glass art and culture, where they develop new styles and experiment with new techniques.