FROM WOOD TO GLASS

Katerina Krotenko’s glass vessels collection Shaped by Fire rediscovers the use of wood in the glassmaking process.

Artist and designer Katerina Krotenko created a collection of glass vessels called Shaped by Fire for the Milan Design Week 2021. The project uses a Finnish wood imprint technique from the 1960s to achieve organic textures and shapes. The vessels were shaped by wooden molds, which change continuously during the glassblowing process, making the final pieces appear to have grown from the earth.

Handcrafted in Finland, the pieces reflect the organic and living features of the materials that make up the designs. Krotenko’s work experiments with wood and glassblowing to explore movement in time, cultural synthesis, and aesthetic metamorphosis. 

Photography: © Katerina Krotenko