Finnish Glass Art:
Sparkle and Color in Modern Design
Finnish products—furniture, ceramics, and glass—are famed for their functionality and refined beauty. These products from Northern Europe have been extensively incorporated in twenty-first century Japanese lifestyles, giving our lives gracious harmony and charm.
Finland became independent of Russia in 1917. Amidst rising nationalism, modernism, in many fields, was encouraged as the Finns sought to build a new nation state and recover their national identity. Glass was no exception. In the 1930s, competitions were held in Finland in anticipation of the Milan Triennale, international expos, and other international expositions. In the drive for national recovery after World War II, such opportunities for international displays of designs and industrial products increased, and young designers competed fiercely to earn their tickets to the international state. In the 1950s, glass art that reflected the essence of Finland earned international renown and established its presence in the world of design.
This exhibition traces the lineage of Finnish glass art, from the 1930s to the present, through about 140 works by eight designers and artists. In Finland, among the glass products designers have worked on, those with high artistic qualities are called “art glass.” This exhibition focuses on works that the designers themselves designed as “art glass” and produced in collaboration with the artisans. How did each of these designers address their material, glass, explore it, and expand its creative activities? Please enjoy this opportunity to glimpse the principles, challenges, and personal thinking addressed in each period and by each artist.
Toyama Glass Art Museum, Floors 2-3, Exhibition Rooms 1-3
2022.11.3 Thu – 2023.1.29 Sun
Sun-Thu 9:30-18:00 (admission until 17:30),
Fri-Sat 9:30-20:00 (admission until 19:30)
First and third Wednesdays, December 29, 2022-January 1, 2023
Toyama Glass Art Museum
S2 Corporation
Collection Kakkonen
Finnair, Finnair Cargo, Iittala
Embassy of Finland, Tokyo, Finnish Institute in Japan, THE KITANIPPON SHIMBUN, THE TOYAMA SHIMBUN, Kitanihon Broadcasting Co., Ltd., TOYAMA TELEVISION BROADCASTING CO., LTD., TULIP-TV INC.
Admission
General Public 1,500 yen (1,300 yen)/University and College Students 1,300 yen (1,100 yen)
*Combination ticket with Convivial Life at Moomin’s Table
〇( ) for groups of 20 or more 〇High school students and younger: Free
○Tickets for Finnish Glass Art include admission to Permanent Exhibition.
Advance Ticket (General Public: 1,300 yen)
Related Programs
Special Lecture
*Free of charge
Date: Saturday 12 November 2022 at 11:00-
Venue: Toyama Glass Art Museum 2F Lobby
Lecturer: Anna-Maria WILJANEN (Director, The Finnish Institute in Japan)
Theme: Life and modern design in Finland, the happiest country around the world
Language: English(with consecutive interpretation into Japanese)
Workshop: Himmeli Experience with Glass
Date: 3 December, ①10：30-12：00、②13：30-15：00 each at 14:00-
Venue: Toyama Glass Art Museum 2F room 1-2
Lecturer：TSUCHIDA Ruriko (Director, Toyama Glass Museum)
Language: Japanese
Charge: ¥2500
*Advance reservation required
*For information on how to apply, visit the website.
Director’s Talk
Dates: 20 November, 17 December 2022, 9 January, 21 January 2023 each at 14:00-
Venue: Toyama Glass Art Museum
Language: Japanese
*Free of charge
*No reservation required
*Ticket for this exhibition is required for admission to the exhibition rooms.
*Details events will be announced on the museum’s website and official SNS sites, etc.
*There events are subject to cancellation or change by convenience.
*Please check the museum website for the latest information.
Artists
Alvar & Aino Aalto, Gunnel Nyman, Kaj Franck, Tapio Wirkkala, Timo Sarpaneva, Oiva Toikka, Markku Salo, Joonas Laakso
Exhibited works (partially)
*Reproduction of photos are prohibited.
Convivial Life at Moomin’s Table
Eating and Sharing Nature’s Bounty
This exhibition focuses on the food and the occasions of feasting and drinking merrily together and making themselves at home from the Moomin stories and explores the significance of "convivial life" through quotes, illustrations, and special exhibits.
Convivial has various meanings, from "feast," "delicacies,” to "symbiosis“. We can’t help but feel the cozy warmth and appreciate the connection between eating and living when we see the Moomin family, completely relaxed at the table.
You can continue to enjoy the exhibits from the Moominvalley Park at this exhibition which includes the high-quality digigraphs from the Moomin Museum in Finland as well as the collection about food from and the Moomin Characters Ltd. Also on display are rare handmade figurines as well as Moomin tableware from our private collectors. Tasting nature’s bounty – we welcome you to enjoy this simple yet a truly blessed lifestyle here in the Moominvalley.
Toyama Glass Art Museum, Floor 5, Gallery 1-2
2022.11.3 Thu – 2023.1.29 Sun
Sun-Thu 9:30-18:00 (admission until 17:30),
Fri-Sat 9:30-20:00 (admission until 19:30)
First and third Wednesdays, December 29, 2022-January 1, 2023
Toyama Glass Art Museum
S2 Corporation
Moomin Characters Oy Ltd.(Finland), Moominvalley Park (Hanno-Shi, Saitama), Moomin Museum/Tampere Art Museum (Finland)
Finnair, Finnair Cargo, Finlayson
Embassy of Finland, Tokyo, Finnish Institute in Japan, THE KITANIPPON SHIMBUN, THE TOYAMA SHIMBUN, Kitanihon Broadcasting Co., Ltd., TOYAMA TELEVISION BROADCASTING CO., LTD., TULIP-TV INC
Mayumi Tomihara (Professor Emeritus, University of the Sacred Heart)
Mami Adachi (Professor, Department of English Language, Communication and Cultures, University of the Sacred Heart) as a project of "Contributing to Cultural Enterprises through Translation", Department of English Language, Communication and Cultures, and “Translation Theory and Practice I-1", Graduate School of English Language and Literature, University of the Sacred Heart
Exhibited works (partially)
Access
○20-minute walk.
○Take the tram (Shinaidensha) for Minamitoyamaeki-mae. Get off at Nishicho. 1-minute walk.
○Take the Loop Line tram (Shinaidensha Kanjō-sen). Get off at Grand Plaza-mae. 2-minute walk. (Tram takes approx. 10 minutes from Toyama Sta. to Nishicho/Grand Plaza-mae.)
○Take the Airport Bus to Toyama Station (Airport Express Bus/Local Bus (Route no.36)) and get off at Sogawa. 4-minute walk.
〒930-0062
5-1 Nishicho, Toyama City, Toyama 930-0062, Japan
TEL 076-461-3100
FAX 076-461-3310
https://www.toyama-glass-art-museum.jp/en/
