Graal glass – Ella Varvio

Engraved glass art at Glass Museum Gernheim 19.03. – 09.09.2023

Glass Museum Gernheim in Germany is hosting an exhibition of contemporary glass engraving art from allover Europe. The show wants to highlight how old craft skills can turn into contemporary art. Exhibition is called Gravur on Tour and it’s curated by the museum and a network of European glass engravers. I am proud to be part of the exhibition with three artworks. Exhibition opens 19th of March and continues until 9th of September 2023.

*Horses I will ride in the afterlife*, 2022 – artworks that I have send to Gernheim, Germany

Gravur on Tour: Glashütte Gernheim 2023
19.03. – 09.09.2023
LWL-Museum Gernheim Glassworks
Gernheim 12, Petershagen, Germany
Museum open from Tuesday to Sunday 10-18

https://glashuette-gernheim.lwl.org/en/

Voipaala -viimeinen viikko

Voipaalan Herkkyyskausi -näyttelyn viimeinen viikko alkaa nyt! Tässä muutama kuva, kuvaajana Ina Jaakkola.

Some pictures from Voipaala exhibition, last week to go! Photo credits: Ina Jaakkola

Bárdudvarnok

Sulholla on suden hampaat 2017 – made in symposium in Bardudvarnok, Hungary

Few pictures from the glass studio – Nemzetközi Üveg Alkotótelep – in Bárdudvarnok, Hungary. Last week was very intensive, many thanks for the organizers, participants and glassblower-artist James Carcass for helping to realize new Graals. The artworks by me and Laura Aalto-Setälä will exhibited at Bor és kézműves -gallery in Budapest during Finnish festival on 22-24.9.

And this Sunday, 27.8. there is Designtori in Tampere. Some glass art can be found at Galleria Rajatila’s exhibition at the fair in Tullikamari 11am-6pm. Welcome!

On Buda Castle Hill

Two of my artworks After the bees have gone and Stressed Out are now on display at Kiskép Galéria, Budapest, Hungary. The small gallery is located on Buda Castle Hill, one of the most scenic and historic parts of Budapest. The gallery exhibits a variety of works from Hungarian artists and is worth of visiting. The address is Országház utca 8 and it is open 10am-6pm daily.

Both of artworks were made last year during Finnish-Hungarian glass art symposium in Bárdudvarnok, southern Hungary. They both present a variation of Graal technique and they were made in co-operation with glassblower-artist James Carcass. I’ll be visiting glass studio in Bárdudvarnok again next month and looking forward an inspiring time there.

And an another thing, possible plans for next year: I decided to apply for ARTROOMS 2018 – an alternative art fair in London. They offer selected artists to exhibit in a hotel room for few days to put up an exhibition – and I have a pretty neat vision of some glass and light artworks I’d like to present there – if selected. To view my application and put a vote for People’s Choice Award : https://art-rooms.org/application/varvio/

Afterglow

Nemeton– glass art exhibition ended last week in Helsinki, time to take a deep breath before new challenges! Here’s a short video from the glass studio: making of Queen of Vipers -unique Graal glass piece. Glassblowers Kari Alakoski and Marja Hepo-aho are sculpting my design at their studio in Riihimäki. Video by Ammi Lahtinen/Galleria Mafka&Alakoski.

My most sincere thanks to all support for this exhibition project: many thanks to Galleria Mafka&Alakoski for the opportunity to have a solo exhibition in Helsinki, lots of thanks to glassblowers Marja and Kari, carpenters, suppliers, national railroads, parents for lending me the car… and for Arts Promotion Centre Finland for supporting the making of the glass artworks…

And many thanks for all who visited the exhibition! Hope to see you in other exhibitions and venues – for example on 7.5. I’ll be attending Designtori, Tampere with Rajataide -organization of Tampere based artists.

The namesake of the exhibition: Nemeton-vase. Photo: Ammi Lahtinen

When it was all on the level of sketches… Photo: Ammi Lahtinen

Long long hours also in the cold workshop…

And the Ready piece! Queen of Vipers. Photo Iiro Immonen

The making of the new glass artworks was supported by Arts Promotion Centre Finland

Creative session

Some glow in the middle of darkness: hot glass! I had been hoarding some graal blanks for months and now it was time to make the ready pieces.

I’ve been creating drawings about sacred groves – important feature in many myths and many cultures: Finns, Celts, Slavic, etc. have considered forests and trees to be sacred. However these illustrations aim to be imaginative and mythical: they depict a mishmash of imaginary cult practices and realistic trees and animals. Sacred grove will be the theme my solo exhibition in Helsinki next spring. Stay tuned!

On the foreground Springtime Witch (2016) – mouthblown glass, Graal technique, made in Riihimäki, Finland.

Summer shows

Some of the Firebird themed artworks have flown to Maila Talvio -salong in Hartola, central Finland. The summer exhibition opens on 8th of June, and the assembly presents paintings, sculpture -and glass- from several artists.

Summer exhibition at Maila Talvio – salong 9.6.-21.8.2016

Koskipääntie 4, 19600 Hartola

Open Tue-Fri 11-18, Sat-Sun

Meanwhile there’s some pretty hot stuff to be seen at Nuutajärvi, as Peep show – other realities – summer exhibition is also running. Next week I’ll be having too much fun and excitement as I’m traveling to Corning N.Y. and Glass Art Society’s annual conference. Sure to be inspired!

Tulintu teoksia on lennähtänyt Hartolaan, sillä ensi viikolla 8.6. aukeaa Maila Talvio -salongin taiteen kesänäyttely. Useamman taiteilijan kattauksessa on nähtävillä maalauksia, veistoksia -ja lasia.

Nuutajärven kesänäyttely rullaa myös elokuulle asti, joten tässä kesä-Suomen matkaajille käyntikohteita. Mutta oikeasti nyt jänskättää Ameriikan matka, pian on nimittäin Corningissa, Yhdysvalloissa lasitaiteen suur-tapahtuma Glass Art Societyn konferenssi. Sinne on tarkoitus mennä ihmettelemään ja inspitoitumaan.

In Tsar’s Garden

This is one of my most handcrafted pieces from 2014. “Tsar’s garden” is made in traditional graal technique in co-operation with master glassblower Kari Alakoski. Finally I got some presentable photos pf the piece, thanks to photographer Heidi-Hanna Karhu.

Project Graal 2012

In 2012 I was busy with my BA final work for Ceramic and Glass Design at Aalto University. These artworks are some of the results. The graal-glass-technique was new for me, and I approached it with a melancholical theme of drowning and diving in to deep waters.

The glass vases are all mouth blown at the university’s studio in Helsinki by glassblower Elina Piispanen. You can find a video of the making here:

https://www.youtube.com/wa tch?v=FFrKrMKC-Fs

This work above “Two faces of a drowned man” is featured in the European Glass Experience -touring exhibition. In March 2015 it will be included in an exhibition at Museo del Vetro, Venice.

These older works have been signed by name Ella Jaakkola.

Tulintu 2014

Tulintu is a my project with fellow artist Sini Majuri. We are both using graal-technique and comic art influences as a medium for contemporary glass art. These are some of my works from spring 2014. The artworks in the pictures were made in Helsinki, Finland in co-operation with glassblower Katri Pankasalo.

Photos: Veera Konsti