Lena Bergström’s 27 years at Orrefors

As a designer Lena Bergström is mainly exploring two areas – the capturing world of glass as well as textiles, with inspiration from the intensive big city and the nature from the north of Sweden where she grew up.

“It’s a big contrast between nature in its simple form and the architectonic city. It’s a bit like my personality – my two different sides; the soft and the hard side", she says with a laugh.

Other sources of inspiration for her glassware design and her art objects come from her fascination for fashion, the contemporary period and craftsmanship.

New possibilities

In 1993 Orrefors asked Lena Bergström to be part of a project which could eventually lead to new possibilities for the designer. She had not previously worked with glass, but she had great experience in interior textile design.

“To enter the world of glass was wonderful. I fell in love with the essence of the material, the incredible craft and all the knowledge found at Orrefors glassworks.”

She worked on the project which led to an exhibition. Orrefors was pleased with her performance and in 1994 a long collaboration began. Lena has designed many collections for Orrefors, ever since the first initiative, like the candleholders Puck, the vase collection Squeeze and Carat – timeless design that still decorates many homes.

“The Puck candleholder was my very first product produced in high volumes for Orrefors. I love the Snowball designed by Ann Wolff, in collaboration with Göran Wärff, with its innovative creativity. Inspired by the world of winter and snow I wanted to design a contemporary version and connect my design to ice, instead of snow, and with that in mind, Puck was born. This candleholder has a special place in my heart. It signifies light and hope – a beautiful thing everyone can afford,” she says.

A bestseller

One of Orrefors’ bestselling collections is Carat launched in 2009. The candleholders in clear glass were the first products in the collection. Since then, there have been extensions to the collection like vases, candleholders, plates and serveware.

“The assignment from Orrefors was to modernize the cut crystal and I instantly got a clear vision: candleholders with an asymmetric cut, a sparkling chaos, a minimalistic and steady base in contrast to the cut glass and details in platina. A beautiful combination of materials. I am proud this collection has become an Orrefors classic, and a top seller appreciated internationally”.

Besides being known for designing interior design products and glassware for Orrefors, Lena Bergström also has a more artistic side. She has exhibited at many well-known galleries like Galleri Glas in Stockholm with the exhibition “Winter Garden”, recurringly at Vessel Gallery in London with the exhibition “Stellar”, and soon with a jubilee exhibition opening in spring 2022. She currently exhibited her work in another jubilee exhibition “Lena 25+” at Kosta Art Gallery in Kosta, Sweden.

“The exhibition reflects my 25+ years at Orrefors and Kosta Boda, but also my present time in the form of new objects. The exhibition has made me think about the products I have designed over the years, and I am very happy that they are all timeless and still work. I now leave my mark with the new objects, and I am excited to see what the future brings”.

By Sofie Karlsson