Sara Hulkkonen
GLASS BLOWER, TEACHER
I am an artisan glass blower that works in limited production series and unique glass pieces. The feel of lightness and the transparency inherent to glass fascinates me and inspires the technical process of my work. From a greater perspective, my work with the material glass gives me the means to comprehend the essentials of life.
My little unique Hanami pieces handcrafted in clear glass. I wanted to memorize the start of the spring, inspired by the fruit trees in my garden.
The historic Nuutajärvi Glass Village with its 220 years and growing traditions in glass blowing ismy home. Here I blow glass at the Lasikomppania hot shop and show my work at NuGO Shop, a coop for local glass artists. A great part of my work is the education of the blown glass process. I teach at the Tavastia Vocational College to further the craft of glass into the next generation of makers.
WORKS
CURRICULUM VITAE
Sara Hulkkonen
Born 1972, Espoo, Finland
Lives and works in Nuutajärvi
tel. +358 40 534 1457
Glass blower Sara Hulkkonen (born 1972) started studying glassblowing in 1999. After an intense career as an assistant and a partner in a small glass blowing studio in southern Finland she started her own studio in 2005. Originally born and raised in Espoo, Sara Hulkkonen moved permanently to the Nuutajärvi Glass Village in 2007. In addition to her studies in glass in Finland she has studied glass making at the Penland School of Crafts, NC, USA.
Since 2009 Sara Hulkkonen has worked as a full time glass blowing instructor at TavastiaVocational College and she also teaches glass blowing at HAMK University of Applied Sciences. Along with her own artistic career and teaching she is the chairman of the Nuutajärvi Gallery Cooperation NuGO and a member in the Lasikomppania, a hot shop facility for independent glass artists. Hulkkonen has so far had two private shows and seventeen group exhibitions. Her work is included in private collections and in the permanent collection of the Finnish Glass Museum.
In the world of glass Sara Hulkkonen finds the process of working with the hot glass most exciting. Both the glass as a material and the intensive physical work to form the glass are a great inspiration to her. Also the team work plays an important and fascinating role – the possibility to share the rhythm of the work and the beauty of the material. “The continuity of the traditional craftsmanship is essential. The art of glass blowing continues and shapes with us, the makers. Some of us human beings need to make stuff with our very own hands. In our ready-made society it sometimes feels challenging to explain that yes, I really want to sweat and make physical work. Forming the hot glass demands and develops both physical strength and specific intellectual awareness”, she says.
In her free time Hulkkonen likes to travel. She finds herself home both in the wilderness of Lapland and in the busy New York City. Since young age she has travelled a lot and also had her home in Italy, France and Sweden. Living and working in Nuutajärvi she finds exceptional as both the wilderness and the traditions of craftsmanship in glass are present.
EDUCATION
2012 Ammatillinen opettaja, Hämeen ammattikorkeakoulu, ammatillinen opettajakorkeakoulu
2005 Käsi- ja taideteollisuusalan perustutkinto, artesaani, lasiala, Hämeen ammatti- instituutti, Wetterhoff
1991 Tapiolan aikuislukio, ylioppilas
COURSES
2015 New Technologies in Practise, The Robert M. Minkoff Academic Symposium, Urban Glass, NY, USA
2013-14 Näyttötutkintomestari, Hämeen ammattikorkeakoulu
2014 Hot glass sculpting, opettajat Shelley Muzylowksi ja Rik Allen, Hehkuva Nuutajärven lasikylä-hanke
2013 Issues in Glass Pedagogy, The Robert M. Minkoff Academic Symposium, Urban Glass, NY, USA
2012 Glass is Tomorrow –workshop, Nový Bor, Tsekin tasavalta (lasitekniikan asiantuntija)
2011 Glass is Tomorrow –workshop, Nuutajärvi (lasinpuhaltaja)
2011 Out of the Round, opettaja Ethan Stern, Pittsburgh Glass Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
2011 Through Thick and Thin –Penland Spring Concentration, 2 kk, opettaja Devin Burgess, Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC, USA
2010 Breaking Symmetry – Moniulotteisuus lasissa, lasin kuumaveistotekniikat, opettaja Slate Grove, Kk Tavastia, Nuutajärvi
2010 Intermediate/Advanced Glassblowing, opettajat Boyd Sugiki & Lisa Zerkowitz, Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC, USA
2009 Design Aesthetics: Challenging the Basics, opettajat Joe Cariati & Adam Holtzinger, Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC, USA
2006 Venetsialainen pikari, opettaja Jim Mongrain, Lasikomppania, Nuutajärvi
2005 Ikkunalasinpuhallus, opettaja Eino Mäkelä, Lasikomppania, Nuutajärvi
1999 International Glass Workshop for Women, opettaja Bibi Smith, Hämeen ammatti-instituutti, Wetterhoff, Nuutajärvi
1998—2000 Artesaaniopintoja, Ikaalisten Käsi- ja Taideteollisuusoppilaitos, Lasiosasto
WORK EXPERIENCE
2009- Ammattiopisto Tavastia, tuntiopettaja, lasiala
2010- Metropolia ammattikorkeakoulu, vieraileva opettaja, kulttuuriala
2012 Lahden ammattikorkeakoulu, sivutoiminen tuntiopettaja, lasinpuhallus
2008-2013 Hämeen ammattikorkeakoulu, Wetterhoff, tuntiopettaja, lasinpuhallus 2008 Team Chihuly, workshop, assistentti, Nuutajärvi
2005- Lasistudio SARA, oma yritys, lasinpuhaltaja, lasitaiteilija
2000-2004 Studio Hippoglass, studioassistentti, lasinpuhaltaja, osakas
2000 Madam Glas, Klässbol, Ruotsi, studioassistentti
EXHIBITIONS
2015 Muotojen maastossa, NuGOn kesänäyttely, Nuutajärvi
2015 Suomen lasi elää 7, Suomen lasimuseo, Riihimäki
2014 Rajapinnat, Fiskars
2014 Kamera ja kvartsihiekka – lasia ja valokuvia, Gumbostrand, Sipoo
2013 Juhlat – Nuutajärven ja Arabian taiteilijayhteisöt, kesänäyttely, Nuutajärvi
2012 Kuuma kuumempi lasi, (NuGO), Suomen Kädentaidot
2012 –messut, Tampere
2012 Souffler/Capturer, (NuGO), Institut finlandais, Pariisi
2012 Puhallus ja laukaus – lasia ja valokuvia, NuGOn kesänäyttely, Nuutajärvi
2012-2014 Finnish Glass Art
2005-2010, Suomen lasimuseon kiertonäyttely, Slovenia, Slovakia, Ranska, Saksa, Viro
2011 Lasikomppania, Suomen Lasimuseo, Riihimäki
2011 Kaj Franckin maisemissa – teemana lasi, NuGOn kesänäyttely, Nuutajärvi
2010 Samtida Glaskonst, Rejmyre Art Lab, Rejmyre glasmuseum, Ruotsi (kutsun.)
2010 Ars Häme ’10, Forssa
2010 Jukebox, NuGOn kesänäyttely, Nuutajärvi
2010 Suomen Lasi Elää VI, Suomen Lasimuseo, Riihimäki (kutsunäyttely)
2009 Fruit Market, NuGOn kesänäyttely, Nuutajärvi
2009 Lasia, Glas, Villa Orrman, Hanko (oma näyttely)
2009 Glas, NuGOn näyttely, Blås&knåda, Tukholma
2008 NuGO+ Blås&knåda, NuGOn kesänäyttely, Nuutajärvi
2008 Lasiesiintymiä, Lasikomppanian yhteisnäyttely,Tytyrin kaivosmuseo, Lohja
2007 Lintuja ja muita eläimiä, NuGOn kesänäyttely, Nuutajärvi
2005 Läpinäkyvää, Salon Taiteiljaseuran näyttely, Sisustustehdas, Salo (j)
2005 Helmenä Helsingissä, Artisaani, Helsinki
2005 Suomen Lasi Elää 5, Suomen Lasimuseo, Riihimäki (kutsunäyttely)
2005 Neljä tunnetta, Artisaani, Helsinki (oma näyttely)
2004 Aurinkoinen Tulevaisuus, Mathildedal, Perniö
GRANTS
2014 Svenska Kulturfonden (matka-apuraha)
2012 Pirkanmaan taidetoimikunta (matka-apuraha) 2010 Suomen Kulttuurirahasto
2009 Pirkanmaan taidetoimikunta
2009 Svenska Kulturfonden (matka-apuraha)
MEMBERSHIPS
Nuutajärven galleria Co-op, Founder (2007), President
2010-2014 Nuutajärven lasitaitajat ry Lasikomppania, Member of the Board. 2007-2012, Secretary
2007-2011 Ornamo, (Arts)
Glass Art Society GAS
STUDY TRIPS
Sweden, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Czech, Turkey, United States
WORKS IN COLLECTIONS
Finnish Glass Museum
Nerkoon Höyläämö
Private Collections
