Frida Fjellman (Swedish, b. 1971) is a Stockholm-based multi-disciplinary artist. Originally trained as a ceramist, Fjellman has since expanded her practice to include works in glass, neon, and carved wood, all executed with the same mastery of medium. At the core of her practice is a divergence from the subtle minimalism that characterizes most traditional and contemporary Swedish art and design. The artist experiments with her own perception of the Swedish aesthetic, appropriating and subverting the traditional elements of Swedish design and typified beauty to create highly personal sculptures and installations, which in many ways evoke the Northern Swedish landscape.
Fjellman’s tableaus often involve manifestations of light and weather rendered in glass and neon; the overall effect is that of a dreamlike state. Her fantastical, gem-like, suspended installations rendered in glass link together colored crystals, while LED light transmits and reflects from one prism to the next, creating a hypnotic spectacle of color and light. These playful works, rich in color and decorative flourish, fashion a modern baroque approach, marrying lush beauty with exacting detail and technical skill.
Fjellman’s diverse and provocative projects, executed with impressive versatility across multiple media, have made her a standout contemporary artist both in Sweden and internationally. She is a graduate of Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts, and Design, where she received her MFA from the Department of Ceramics and Glass. Additional studies include time at the studio of the U.S.-based Corning Museum of Glass and the Pilchuk School of Glass. Fjellman is the recipient of numerous scholarships and awards, including the Stockholm City Cultural Award and the Erik Höglund Scholarship among others. Her work has been placed in prestigious public and private collections worldwide, including the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm, Ebeltoft Glass Museum, Röhsska Museum, and the American Museum of Glass.
Frida Fjellman's work lives somewhere in between art, design, and craft. Her pieces – with titles such as Hubba Bubba, Manhattan Babe and Marie-Antoinette – have reached Swedish and international audiences alike, and she is currently celebrating the release of her monograph Frida Fjellman. Malin Ebbing meets Frida in her studio to talk about how her coveted chandeliers came about, which of her ceramic animals she identifies with, and what she does on a day off in New York.
Contemporary works by five of today’s most distinguished Scandinavian glass artists are beautifully arrayed at HB381 for the Manhattan gallery’s annual Summer Group Show. Spotlighting Stine Bidstrup, Lene Bødker, Frida Fjellman, Hanna Hansdotter, and Maria Koshenkova through August 16, the exhibition is brimming with dazzling confections that represent an array of techniques including casting, mouth-blowing, sand-blasting, and mirroring. Each of the five women produce works of differing forms and functions, with some favoring hard-edge crystalline shapes and others going a more Baroque, organic route—but they are all united by their desire to push the bounds of what is possible through the famously finicky medium.
Artist Frida Fjellman's most recent monograph is published with the support of the Stiftelsen Längmanska Cultural Fund and the Estrid Ericson Foundation. The book provides photographic documentation of Fjellman's major works from 2005 to present. It is accompanied by the essay "Frida’s World of Fables" by Bo Madestran.
FRIDA FJELLMAN
Swedish, b. 1971
EDUCATION
2005
Creative Glass Center of America, Millville, NJ
2004
Pilchuck School of Glass, Stanwood, WA
2000
The Studio, Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY
1998
Minor Field Study in Thailand
1998
MFA from the Department of Ceramics and Glass, Konstfack University College of Arts,
Crafts and Design, Stockholm, Sweden
1992
Hellidens College, Craft Work, Tidaholm, Sweden
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022
I Himlen, Art Basel, Basel, Switzerland
2021
I Himlen på Frida Fjellman, Ronneby Konsthall, Ronneby, Sweden
2018
Crystal Atmosphere, Hostler Burrows, New York, NY
2017
Site-specific installation at the Four Seasons Surfclub, Miami, FL
NetJets VIP Lounge, Art Basel, Miami Beach, FL
NetJets VIP Lounge, Art Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Une Touche Postmoderniste, Sotheby’s, Stockholm, Sweden
2016
I himlen på Frida Fjellman, Gustavsberg Konsthall, Värmdö and Ekilstuna
Konstmuseum, Ekilstuna, Sweden
2011
Unexpectedly, Skövde Art Hall, Skövde, Sweden
2010
Stop Art, Central Hospital, Vasterås, Sweden
2009
Top Show Bloodlines, The White Tube, Oslo, Norway & Gallery IngerMolin, Stockholm, Sweden
2008
Frida Fjellman, Christopher Zetterstrand & Anders Krisar, Gallery Mårtensson-Persson,
Stockholm, Sweden
2007
Nocturnal Dreams, Gustavsbergs Konsthall, Gustavsbergs, Sweden
2006
Glint, Röhsska Museum, Gothenburg, Sweden
2005
Other Place, Småland Museum, Vaxjö, Sweden
2004
Borderline, Gallery IngerMolin, Stockholm, Sweden
2001
Lockbon och en koja, Agata, Stockholm, Sweden & Gallery IngerMolin, Stockholm, Sweden (2001–2002)
Isfrid, Blås & Knåda, Stockholm, Sweden
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024
Summer Group Show, HB381, New York, NY, USA
2023
Generation Glas, Cfhill, Stockholm, Sweden
2020 Mischiefs, Bångska Palace, Stockholm, Sweden
New Glass Now, Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY
2018
Venus in Glass, National Museum, Stockholm, Sweden
Pretty, Ugly, Lovely: The Return of the Figurine, Stockholms Auktionsverk, Stockholm, Sweden
C/O Stockholm, Stockholmmodern, Stockholm, Sweden
2017
Next Level Craft, Marie Antoinette, Swedish Institute, Paris, France
C/O Stockholm, Stockholmmodern, Stockholm, Sweden
2016
Paracosm: New Worlds in Glass, Norte Maar, Brooklyn, NY
Tillbaka till Framtiden, Österlens Museum, Simrishamn, Sweden
Gränslöst, 1700-tal speglat I nuet, Göteborgs Konstmuseum, Gothenburg, Sweden
Svensk Glaskonst efter 2000, Millesgården, Lidingö, Sweden
Örnsbergsauktionen, Stockholm, Sweden
Next Level Craft, Swedish Embassy, Washington, DC
2015
Next Level Craft, Traveling Exhibition in collaboration with Umeå Culture
2014
Zwinger und Ich, Ateljé Ö-gruppen, Stockholm, Sweden
2013
Fine i hyllan, Sigtuna Art Museum, Sigtuna, Sweden
Fine i hyllan, Blås & Knåd, Stockholm, Sweden
Beware of Dog, Studio L2, Stockholm, Sweden
2012
Tingenes Tilstand, ARTendal, Bomuldsfabriken Kunsthall, Arendal, Sweden (2012–2013)
All Star Festival, Gallery IngerMonlin, Stockholm, Sweden
2011
Graft, 20th Anniversary Exhibition, Gallery Format, Oslo, Norway
Biennial of Kunsthåndverk & Design, Koldinghus, Kolding, Denmark
2010
Unexpectedly, Skovde Konsthall, Skovde, Sweden
Momentum Design, Point Z, Momentum Art Hall, Moss, Norway
Ceramic Context 2010, Bornholm, Denmark
2009
Reijmyre Matters, Reijmyre Antique, Sweden
State of Affairs, Kulturhuset, Stockholm, Sweden
Ashes to Ashes, Contemporary Art Center of Virginia, Virginia Beach, VA
Irreverent: Contemporary Nordic Craft Art, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, CA
2007
It's Not Like It Was to Walk Along the Beach: Nature as Subject in Contemporary
Swedish Arts and Crafts, Dahl Museum, Eskilstuna Art Gallery & The Röhsska Museum, Sweden
Present, Bomuldsfabriken Kunsthall, Arendal, Norway
2006
Voices: Contemporary Ceramic Art from Sweden, Galleri IngerMolin & The
Swedish Institute, traveling exhibition in Europe and the US (2006–2011)
Global Views, Heller Gallery, New York, NY
Check-in Europe: Reflecting Identities in Contemporary Art, European Patent Office,
Munich, Germany
2005
Cool Liquid, American Museum of Glass, Millville, NJ
Concept Design: Tankens Form, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, Sweden
Strata, Sculpture House, Stockholm, Sweden
Ductile, Liljevalchs Vårsalong, Stockholm, Sweden
2004
Vetri. Nel Mondo. Oggi, Instituto Veneto di Scienze e Lettere ed Arti, Venice, Italy
Designed in Sweden, Museum of London, London, UK
2003
Swedish Style, Swedish Embassy, Tokyo, Japan & Seoul Design Festival, Seoul, South Korea
2001
Happy Campers, The Swedish Institute, New York, NY
Ting Enes Tilstand, National Museum, Oslo, Norway
You Can Do It!, Try Art Gallery & Blås and Knåda, Stockholm, Sweden
Skokloster Castle, Håbo, Sweden
ak28, Stockholm, Sweden
AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
2016
Form’s Top Ten Nordic Projects from 2016
Formex Formidable
2015
Konstnärsnämnden 5-Year Working Grant
2010
Erik Höglund Scholarship
Carl-Axel Valèns Foundation Grant
2009
Årets Konsthantverkare Residence
Konstnärsnämnden 2-Year Working Grant
IASPIS International Cultural Exchange
2007
Stockholm City Cultural Award
2006
Irma and Einar Forseth Kulturfond
2005
The Creative Glass Center of America 3-Month Working Grant
IASPIS International Cultural Exchange
2004
Pilchuck School of Glass General Scholarship
Konstnärsnämnden 2-Year Working Grant
IASPIS International Cultural Exchange
2003
Pilchuck School of Glass General Scholarship
IASPIS International Cultural Exchange
2002
Konsthantverkets Vänner
2000
Konstnärsnämnden Project Grant
1999
Masonic Cultural Award
IASPIS International Cultural Exchange
1998
Konstfacks Funds Graduate Scholarship
Estrid Ericson Memorial Fund Scholarship
PUBLIC COMMISSIONS
2018
Venus in Glass, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, Sweden
2017
Motion Explosion, Trönninge Idrottscenter, Entré, Varberg, Sweden
2016
Life Aquatic, Entrance of the Munktellbadet, Eskilstuna, Sweden
2015
Women’s Healthcare, BB, BVC, KSS, Skövde, Sweden
2014
Mestefjellets Skole, Larvik, Norway
2011
Forest Nursery, Skövde Cultural Management, Sweden
Morö Backe Preschool, Skelleftea Culture Management, Sweden
2010
St. Eriks Gymnasium, Stockholm Art (2 Entrances), Sweden
2008
Pharmaceutical Centre, Sahlgrenska Hospital, Sweden
University House in Gothenburg, Swedish Public Art, Sweden
CIVA, Uppsala University Hospital, Culture in the County, Uppsala County Council, Sweden
2007
Hässelby Gymnasium, Stockholm Art, Sweden
2005
John Lund Retirement Homes, Haninge, Sweden
2003
Huddinge Hospital, Stockholm Culture Administration, Sweden
2002
Uppsala University Hospital, Barnuppvakning, Uppsala County Council, Sweden
SELECTED PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
American Museum of Glass, Millville, New Jersey, USA
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, Sweden
Röhsska Museum, Gothenburg, Sweden
Public Art Agency, Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm Art Council, Sweden
Eskilstuna Art Museum, Sweden
Skövde Art Museum, Sweden
Växjö Glass Museum, Sweden
The Collection of Vincent Bazin, France
Smålands Museum, Sweden
Västerås Art Museum, Sweden
Ebeltoft Glass Museum, Denmark
Vitra Design Museum, Weil am Rhein, Germany
PUBLICATIONS
Madestrand, Bo. Frida Fjellman. Stockholm: Leo Form, 2024
