Gunnel Nyman

Gunnel Nyman (Turku 1909 – 1948) was a Finnish designer most known for her modern art-glass design.

She was educated at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in Helsinki under Arttu Brummer. During her short but brilliant carreer – she died while still in her thirties – she designed glassobjects for all the major Finnish glassworks. First at Riihimäki from 1932 until 1947. Followed by Karhula from 1935 to 1937, Nuutajärvi-Notsjö from 1946-1948 and finally Iittala from 1946-1947. Besides glass-objects she also designed furniture and light fixtures for Taito in the late 1930’s.

Her style was characterised by a strong sense of form and a subtle articulation of surface and mass. Ada Polak, a famous French glass-historian wrote about Nymans creations: “She had an intense feeling for the soft pliability of the material.. while the effect of inlaid colours and bubbles were exploited in a series of graceful vases” and “Whetever technique she employed, she gave to all her designs a subtle touch of true poetry”.

Gunnel Nyman was awarded citations and medals in the 1933 and 1936 Riihimäki glass competition. A gold medal and silver medal at the Exposition Internationale des Arts et Technique dans la Vie Moderne in Paris. And a posthumus gold medal at the 1951 Triennale di Milano.

Her work can be seen in museums all over the world like The British Museum, MoMa and Designmuseo Helsinki.