Willy Johansson - Master of Glass

Yesterday I watched the NRK documentary Glassets Mester (The Master of Glass) and I found it truly fascinating. Not because it told a dramatic life story, but because it showed Willy Johansson exactly as many describe him: a mild man, but at the same time uncompromising and precise as a designer.

Willy Johansson (1921–1993) is one of Norway’s most important glass designers. He grew up at Hadeland Glassverk, where his father, Wilhelm Johansson, was known as perhaps the greatest glassblower in Norwegian history. From 1947 to 1988 Willy shaped the design identity of Hadeland, creating some of the most iconic series in Norwegian glass art, including Nautilus and Svalbard (coming soon to NorwegianHeritage).

In the documentary, he says: “Glass is a delightful material. It is soft and resilient, mysteriously alive. Anything can happen before the glass hardens.” That line really stayed with me after watching the program — you can hear the care, respect, and exactness he put into his work.

Today his glass is highly collectible, with more than 200 pieces in the National Museum (one of them — the “Ocean” vase — will soon be in the shop), and his designs are exhibited across Scandinavia and beyond.

We already have some of his work in the shop, including the classic Hadeland Polar Bear. It is engraved with his initials — a design from his time as chief designer. Others did the glassblowing, but the piece carries his artistic stamp. Still produced at Hadeland today, it links contemporary craft to that historic design era.

Here’s the link to the NRK program if you’d like to see it yourself (Norwegian only): Glassets Mester.