Kjersti Johannessen presents Norway Designs NÅ Vol. 5 with the "Hand in glove" vases. The vases look just like a glove before Johannessen cuts them with a diamond saw, and grinds and highly polishes the edge until it is shiny again. Johannessen got the idea for the actual design of the vase when her daughter came home with hand-picked spring flowers. Since all the flowers had different stems, Johannessen could not find a suitable vase, and had to put the flowers in an egg glass. This gave her the desire to justify the lovely gesture by making a vase that suited the purpose. Over time, the vase has become larger and also suitable for cut flowers.
The vases are blown and shaped for freehand, which makes each vase unique. Johannessen makes them in many different transparent colours, opaque colors and in clear glass. She has also worked with contrasts in the design of the vase by using a soft, wavy shape between harder finishes at the top and bottom.
About Kjersti Johannessen
Kjersti Johannessen (b. 1977) has worked for over 20 years with hot glass, and discovered glassblowing when she attended the Plus school in Fredrikstad aged 18. Johannessen is also educated at the Glass School at Kosta Glascenter in Sweden and the Glass and Ceramics School in Bornholm in Denmark, in addition to having studied at Pilchuck Glass School and Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, USA.
In 2006, she received the Norwegian State's Artist Grant for younger artists, which resulted in a solo exhibition at the Norwegian Artists' Association in 2009, which again opened up several new projects and exhibitions at home and abroad. Johannessen has, among other things, represented Norway at the first European Glass Context exhibition in Denmark, and at 100% Norway in London. She has also been purchased by, among others, the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design, Nordenfjeldske, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and HM Queen Sonja, and collaborated with several other artists in various projects.
In 2018 Johannessen was again awarded the Statens Kunstnerstipend for 3 years.
