Colours – Perceptions of Light

Exhibition at the Iittala Glass Museum from 16 March to 6 October 2024

The Finnish Glass Museum starts an exhibition partnership with the Iittala Glass Museum operated by Fiskars group. The first exhibition “Colours – Perceptions of Light” opens to the public on 16 March 2024. The exhibition displays articles by designers from Iittala and Nuutajärvi whose production has had an impact on our understanding of glass art and has inspired others to experiment on colours.

The exhibition demonstrates how colours can be experienced and achieved technically. It also presents eight beloved colours: clear, opal, green, red, yellow, blue and grey. The exhibition features articles by designers from Iittala and Nuutajärvi glass factories whose production has, in one way or another, had an impact on our understanding of glass art and has inspired others to experiment on colours.

The experience of colours is always personal, even though a certain physical and chemical composition can be defined for each colour. Colours also carry cultural and symbolic meanings, which we use to interpret our surroundings and sense the space around us. Iittala is known for its expertise in colours, and the unique colours of Iittala products are based on the professional skills of its own chemist, who currently is Juha-Pekka Nikkanen. During Timo Sarpaneva’s (1926–2006) time, the development of colours started to gain a larger foothold at Iittala.


Images: Ella Tommila / The Finnish Glass Museum