Erik Höglund started working for Boda when the company and the entire Swedish glass industry were expanding. As the world of glass was completely new to him, he wanted to learn as quickly as possible. So as not to disturb anyone at the glass furnace, he learned to blow and grind glass at night. Erik often stressed hard work as the key to success.

In 1954, Erik set out on his first scholarship abroad to Italy and Greece. He was more interested in sensuous Etruscan and Greco-Cretan culture than in classic lines and shapes. During the trip, he saw what real poverty was like, and his experiences in the war-torn lands of the Mediterranean made a strong impression on him.

Erik Höglund developed his own distinctive style in the 1950s. The shapes were simple and primordial, often inspired by primitive culture and folksy glass art. The objects were heavy and rustic, without sharp edges or flat surfaces. The glass often took human and sculptural shapes. Erik used coloured glass that was widely enhanced against the light. Air bubbles were present in the glass mass, sometimes induced by the production. He often stamped seals in the glass portraying faces, bulls, and other symbols. His artistic expression was one of conscious non-perfectionism. Therefore, Erik stood apart from the extremely successful Swedish glass art from the first part of the 20th century.

In 1957, Höglund received what was perhaps the most prestigious design award in the world, the Danish Lunning Prize. Soon enough, the sales of his glass designs skyrocketed Erik’s sense of design was to noticeably alter the daily life of the Swedish homes.

Signed.