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.