Markku Salo
GLASS DESIGNER
Markku Salo combines his career as industrial designer with working as an independent glass artist. Both the production work and the art he creates are important to him and he enjoys the contrasting environments of each.
The imagination of Salo is vivid; his ideas are endlessly playful and the child in him is often at the forefront of his work. Sometimes the humour makes one laugh out loud, but usually it amounts to good-natured fun, both in his ideas and in the choice of the materials he combines. The ideas are simple and clear, making his glass an enjoyable experience. He says “Glass is really not that serious. It is a very fast material. In just a few minutes you can materialize an idea and see if it turns out the way you want it to. Also, glass in itself is vivid, since it is always at play with light, looking different all the time.”
Salo´s work is very varied and he has not stuck to one technical process. In the artistic work his tendency in recent years has been to make work that covers a significant area, and it is not unusual for a piece to be 4 metres high or wide.
Markku Salo is living and working in the glass village of Nuutajärvi in Finland since 1983.
Text by Dan Klein
WORKS
CURRICULUM VITAE
Jukka Isotalo
Born 1954, Nokia, Finland
Education
1974-79
The University of Art and Design / Industrial Design, Helsinki
1972-74
Kankaanpää Art School
Experience
Freelancer -work:
2006
Lundia Oy, glasscollection
2004
Tavastia Further Education College, teacher
2000 – 2004
Wetterhoff school of the University of Applied Sciences (HAMK), teacher
1994
Aarikka Oy
1992 -
Iittala Group
1982 - 83, -91, -96 - 99
The University of Art and Design Arts, teacher
1979 - 80
Ergonomia Design, industrial design
1978
Destem Oy, industrial design
1978
SLO Group, light fitting design
Full-time work:
1991 -
Muotohuone Oy, entrepreneur, glassdesign and graphic design
1983 - 91
Wärtsilä Nuutajärven lasi, later Hackman Oy Ab Nuutajärven Lasi (today Iittala Group), glassware and tableware design, unique glass works, exhibition design, graphic design
1979 - 83
Salora Oy, head of Design Department
1981 - 83, electronic product design
Memberships
2013-
Tampere Artists Association
2008 -
Arkadia Society
2007 -
Nuutajärvi Gallery Cooperative
2003 -
Lasikomppania (Glasscompany)
2001 -
Modus, The Assosiation of the Pirkanmaa-county Designers
1980 -
Ornamo, The Assosiation of the Finnish Designers
Grants and Awards
2013 Public Display Grant to Visual Artists
2012 Finnish Cultural Foundation Pirkanmaa, scholarship
2011 National Council for Design, scholarship
2010 Frame, Finnish Fund for Art Exchange, scholarship
2010 Arts Council of Pirkanmaa, scholarship
2010 Arts Council of Finland, scholarship
2008 Art Prize, The Arts Council of Pirkanmaa
2008 Public Display Grant to Visual Artists
2007 Arlaux Design Trophy
2006 National Council for Design, scholarship
2005 Finnish Cultural Foundation 3-year scholarship
2004 The Arts Council of Finland for Design, exhibition support
2004 The Arts Council of Finland, travel grant
2004 Finnish-Danish Cultural Foundation scholarship
2002 Finnish Cultural Foundation scholarship
2001 Swedish-Finnish Cultural Foundation scholarship
2001 Public Display Grant to Visual Artists
2000 Arts Council of Pirkanmaa, scholarship
2000 The Alfred Kordelin Foundation, scholarship
2000 Swedish-Finnish Cultural Foundation scholarship
1999 Pro Finnish Design 1999 -Honorary Prize
1998 Public Display Grant to Visual Artists
1998 The Applied Arts Council of Finland scholarship
1997 Arts Council of Häme County, scholarship
1992 A 5-year State Grant for Artists
1990 The Georg Jensen prize, Danmark
1989 The State of Finland award for Instustrial and Applied Arts
1983 Shared first prize in Wärtsilä Co. 150 anniversary design competition
1981 First prize in the Philips luminaire design competition
1976 A special prize in the Scan Design ´76 competition
1973 The Tapio Mikkola scholarship
Solo Exhibitions
2011 Castillo Santa Catalina, Gadiz, Spain
2011 Gallery Uusitalo, Helsinki, Finland
2011 Centro de Artesania e Diseño, Lugo, Spain
2010 Fundación Centro Nacional del Vidrio, La Granja, Spain
2010 Museo de Arte en Vidrio del Alcorcón MAVA, Madrid, Spain
2009 Museo de Arte en Vidrio del Alcorcón MAVA, Madrid, Spain
2009 Gallery Clara Scremini, Paris, France
2009 Finland´s Madrid Institute, Madrid, Spain
2008 Finnish Glass Museum, Riihimäki, Finland
2007 Gallery Uusitalo, Helsinki, Finland
2007 Gallery Täky, Lappeenranta, Finland
2005 Gallery Uusitalo, Helsinki, Finland
2004 Beeldend Glas/Visual Glass, Culture Centre Knokke-Heist, Belgium
2004 Glasmuseet Ebeltoft, Denmark
2003 Gallery Uusitalo, Helsinki, Finland
2001 Gallery Uusitalo, Helsinki, Finland
2001 Gallery De Creszenzo & Viesti, Rome, Italy
2000 Gallery blås&knåda, Stockholm, Sweden
1999 Gallery Uusitalo, Helsinki, Finland
1998 Art Centre Retretti, Punkaharju, Finland
1998 Arabia Gallery, Helsinki, Finland
1997 Gallery Mokkumto, Seoul, South Korea
1996 Gallery Johan S., Helsinki, Finland
1996 Gallery AXL, Oulu, Finland
1995 Gallerie Birgitte Kürzendörfer, Pilsach, Germany
1995 Gallerie Roten Turm, Sommerhausen, Germany
1994 County Museum, Vänersborg, Sweden
1992 The Oslo Museum of Applied Arts, Oslo, Norway
1991 Gallery Bellarte, Helsinki, Finland
1991 Finnish Glass Museum, Riihimäki, Finland
1991 Centro Nacional del Vidrio, La Granja, Spain
1990 Gallery Bellarte, Turku, Finland
1989 INART-Gallery, Amsterdam, Netherlands
1988 Arabia-Esplanadi, Helsinki, Finland
1987 Gallery Bronda, Helsinki, Finland
Other Art Projects
2012
Human Interface, stage setting of a danceproduct, Kaapeli, Helsinki
2011
Degrees of Freedom, installation, Espan lava, Helsinki
Group Exhibitions
Numerous group exhibitions since 1973
The most important:
Unelmia ja elämyksiä, 2014, Gallery Uusitalo, Inkoo
Ajatus lentää luonnosta, 2014, Gallery Uusitalo, Inkoo
Blurred Lines, 2014, Fiskars
Hulluus ja hurmio, 2014, Nuutajärvi Glass Village
Nuutajärvi - A never-ending Story, 2014, Finnish Glassmuseum
Camera and Quartzy sand, 2014, Gallery Gumbostrand, Sipoo, Finland
Aurora – Contemporary Nordic Glass Art, 2014, Pera Museum, Istanbul, Turkey
Nordic Glass, 2013, The Glass Factory, Sweden
Jubilee. Arabia`s and Nuutajärvi`s artists, 2013, Nuutajärvi
Food & Art at G.W.Sundmans, spring 2013, Helsinki, Finland
Finnish Design Unwrapped, Milli Reasurans Sanat Gallery, Istanbul Design Bieannial, 2012, Turkey
Gumbostrand Konst & Form, 2012, Söderkulla, Finland
Souffler/Capturer. Verrerie d´art contemporaine et photographie Finlandais, 2012, Paris
Food & Art at G.W.Sundmans, fall 2012, Helsinki
European Glass Context 2012, European Glass Art, Bornholm Art Museum, Denmark
Food & Art, Restaurant G.W.Sundmans, fall 2012, Helsinki, Finland
Puhallus & laukaus, 2012, NuGO, Nuutajärvi, Finland
Metamorfose 12, 2012, Lahti Art Museum, Lahti, Finland
Glass Etc., 2012, Finnish Glass Museum, Riihimäki, Finland
Taste & Form, 2012, Fiskars, Finland
Eunique Arts & Crafts, 2012, Karlsruhe, Germany
What the Helsinki? La Fabrika, 2012, Brussels, Belgium
Food & Art at G.W.Sundmans, spring 2012, Helsinki
Unwrapped – Contemporary Finnish Design and Photography Exhibition, 2011, Designmuseum, Finland
Unwrapped – Contemporary Finnish Design and Photography Exhibition, 2011, London
Mars Longa, Markku Brevis. Poriginal Gallery, 2011, Pori
Lasikomppania – The Nuutajärvi Glassmakers´Cooperative, The Finnish Glasmuseum, 2011
Collect Art Fair, Gallery Norsu, 2011, London, GB
NYT2011, Contemporary Art at Museum Harkko, 2011, Raisio, Finland
Between Tradition and Future, Ornamo, 2011, South Korea
Billnäs Art Gallery, Gallery Uusitalo, 2011, Billnäs, Finland
In the Landscape of Kaj Franck, NuGO, 2011, Nuutajärvi, Finland
Vimma – Modus 10 years, 2011, Tampere, Finland
Finnish Glass Art 2005-2010, 2011, The touring exhibition by the Finnish Glassmuseum
ArsHäme 10, 2010, Forssa, Finland
Jukebox, NuGO, 2010, Nuutajärvi, Finland
Gallery Uusitalo / Billnäs, 2010, Billnäs
Finnish Glass Lives 6, Finnish Glass Museum, 2010, Riihimäki
Friends & Friends, Design Forum Finland, 2010, Helsinki
Billnäs konstbutik / Gallery Uusitalo, 2009, Billnäs, Finland
Fruit Market, NuGO, 2009, Nuutajärvi, Finland
Pavillon des Arts et du Design, Tuileries Paris, France
NuGO gästar Blås & Knåda, 2009, Stockholm, Sweden
Art 2008, Wanha Satama, 2008, Helsinki, Finland
European Glass Context 2008 –biennial, 2008, Bornholm, Denmark
Sofa Chigago 2008 – The 15th annual international Exposition of Sculpture Objects Functional Art, 2008, Chigago, USA
Design Art London, Gallery Clara Scremini, 2008, London, Great Britain
Suomi&Bruges/Blue&White, Gallery Artonivo, 2008, Brugge, Belgium
NuGO+, Finnish and Swedish glassart, 2008, Nuutajärvi
Glocal Shopper, Design Forum Finland, 2008, Helsinki
Art in Shop, Gallery Uusitalo/Skanno, 2008, Helsinki
Art in Glass, Finnish and Swedish glassart, 2007, Tammisaari, Finland
Birds and other animals, 2007, Nuutajärvi, Finland
Gallery Norsu, Glasscompany, 2006, Helsinki, Finland
Glass, Gallery 5, 2006, Oulu, Finland
L´art du verre finlandais / Finnish Glass Art, 2006 - 2009, touring exhibition The Finnish Glass Museum, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Turkey, Latvia, Germany, Slovakia
Global Art Glass, international glasstriennial, 1999, 2002, 2005 Sweden
Steninge World Exhibition of Art Glass 2005, Sweden
Finnish Glass Lives 5, 2005, The Finnish Glass Museum, Finland
Particle Theories. International pâte de verre – exhibition, 2005, Museum of American Glass,
Melville, USA
Oblåst, Sweden, Finland, 2004 and 2005
Material & Message, 2003, Hungary, Finland
Vanguardia en vidrio / Faszination Glas, touring exhibition, The Finnish Glass Museum, Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Germany, 2002-2004
Smooth Finnish, 2002, Sunderland, Great Britain, Oslo, Norway
Glassway, 2002, Aosta, Italy
The First Regional Exhibition of Industrial Art and Design in Pirkanmaa, 2000, Finland
Finnish Glass Lives 4, 2000, The Finnish Glass Museum, Riihimäki, Finland
The Nordic Spirit, 2000, Lerchenborg Gods, Sjelland, Denmark
3 + 3 Dimensions, 2000, Applied Arts Museum of Tallin, Estonia + The Finnish Glass Museum, Riihimäki, Finland
Iittala Glass in Hässelby Castle, 2000, Stockholm, Sweden
Glasstreasures, 2000, The Snowcastle of Kemi, Kemi, Finland
Den Nordiske Åre – The Nordic Spirit, 2000, Glasmuseet Ebeltoft and Vestsjaelland Amt, Denmark
GlassFantasy 1999, 2000, Iittala, Finland
Moderne Zeiten, Finnisches Glas 1929 - 1999, 1999 Germany
New Finnish Glass, 1997, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Great Britain
Venezia Aperto Vetro — International New Glass, 1996 and 1998, Venezia, Italy
Finnish Glass Lives 3, 1995, The Finnish Glass Museum, Riihimäki, Finland
Ara-vati/Ara-fat, 1995, Gallery Arabia, Helsinki
Neues Glas in Finland 1995, Germany
Design Finlandais 1995, Nizza, France
2 + 2 is more than 4, 1995, Mauritzberg, Sweden
World Glass Now 1994, Sapporo, Japan
Vidrio Finlandes Contemporaneo, 1991, Centro Nacional del Vidrio, La Granja, Spain
Ålands Konstmuseum, 1991, Marianhamina, Finland
NordForm ´90, 1990, Malmö, Sweden
Finnish Glass lives, 1990, The Finnish Glass Museum, Riihimäki, Finland
Utopies, 1989, Grand Palais, Paris, France
Made in Tavastland, 1989, Stockholm, Sweden
Cold Exhibition, 1988, Sapporo, Japan
Light and Material, 1987, Helsinki, Finland
Young Glass, 1987, Ebeltoft, Denmark
Finnish Glass Lives, 1986, The Finnish Glass Museum, Riihimäki, Finland
The Modern Spirit – Glass from Finland, 1985, Canada, USA, Germany
Finland Gestaltet, 1982, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Germany
Finland Designs, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1985. 1987, 1988, Helsinki
The National Exhibition of Yound Artists, 1974, Helsinki
Yearly Exhibition of Tampereen Taiteilijaseura, 1973, 1974, Tampere
Groupexhibition, Jyränkölä, 1972, Heinola, Finland
Ari Eeva & Markku Salo, 1971, Lokalahti, Finland
MUSEUMS
The Corning Museum of Glass, New York, USA
Victoria & Albert Museum, London, GB
Cooper-Hewitt Museum, New York, USA
The Museum of Applied Arts / Design Museum, Helsinki, Finland
The Finnish Museum of Glass, Riihimäki, Finland
Helsinki City Art Museum, Helsinki, Finland
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, Sweden
Brandt Glass Collection, Torshälla, Sweden
The Danish Museum of Decorative Art, Copenhagen, Denmark
Ulster Museum, Belfast, Ireland
Kunstindustrimuseet i Trondheim, Norway
Kunstindustirumuseet i Oslo, Norway
Glasmuseum, Ebeltoft, Denmark
Röhhska Museet, Göteborg, Sweden
Nuutajärvi Glass Museum, Nuutajärvi, Finland
The State of Finland
Urpo Lahtinen´s Art Foundation, Finland
National Public Art Council, Sweden
Museo de Arte en Vidrio del Alcorcón MAVA, Madrid, Spain
Fundación Centro Nacional del Vidrio, La Granja, Spain
Svenska Kulturfonden, Helsinki, Finland
Urjalan Osuuspankki
