Info & CV — Bjørn Friborg

Bjørn Friborg (b. 1983, Herning, Denmark) works within the field of contemporary glass with a physical and performative approach that challenges 500 years of established glassmaking traditions. His sculptures are described as "sculptures of a process" — improvisational in nature, driven by bodily energy and the maximal expression of material.

His primary series, Implosion and Penetration, explore the relationship between glass and ceramics. In the Implosion series, monolithic oval forms capture a split-second collapse — frozen in the instant when internal air pressure yields to the weight of poured glass. In the Penetration series, large blown-glass objects are penetrated by silver nitrate-based molten glass, creating forms that freeze dynamic moments of transformation. As Friborg himself describes: "It's all about these seconds that capture that moment... It's like a blast of energy."

Museum director Maja Heuer of The Glass Factory Sweden notes that his work "redefines established techniques and bodily movements in glassmaking."

Education & Experience

2013 — BFA, The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Schools of Architecture, Design & Conservation, Copenhagen
2009 — Åfors Glasbruk, Sweden — employed under master glassblower Ingvar Carlsson "Kalle Pack"
2006 — Kosta Glasskola, Kosta, Sweden
The Glass Factory, Boda, Sweden
Holmegaard Værk, Denmark

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2023 — Imploded, HB381 / Hostler Burrows, New York, USA
2020 — Implosion, Galleri Montan, Copenhagen, Denmark

Selected Group Exhibitions & Projects

2027 — Artist-in-Residence, The Royal Danish Academy, Crafts in Glass and Ceramics, Nexø, Denmark
2026 — Swedish Graal Masterclass, Pilchuck Glass School, Seattle, USA
2026 — Salon Art + Design @ Bergdorf Goodman, with Hostler Burrows, New York, USA
2023 — Generation Glas, CFHILL, Stockholm, Sweden
2023 — In the Making, Glasmuseet Ebeltoft, Denmark
2022 — Pop-Up Glass, Galleri Montan × RVNHus, Kolding, Denmark
2022 — The Shape of Colours, Galleri Montan, Copenhagen, Denmark
2021 — Art in Glass / Glass in Art, Galleri Montan, Copenhagen, Denmark
2021 — Forces, Matter, House of Craft, Nexø, Denmark
2021 — Matter at Hand: Ten Artists in Denmark, Hostler Burrows, New York & Los Angeles, USA
2020 — Late Summer, Galleri Montan, Copenhagen, Denmark
2019 — British Glass Biennale, Amblecote, UK
2018 — Abstracts & Narratives, Bo Knutsson, Stockholm, Sweden
2018 — Kraft (Force), Galleri Jeanette Ölund, Borås, Sweden
2018 — Ung Svensk Form 2018 (Young Swedish Design), ArkDes, Stockholm, Sweden
2018 — Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, Canada
2018 — Vessel Gallery, London, UK
2017 — Glassyke, S12 Galleri og Verksted, Bergen, Norway
2017 — Scandinavian Glass: Starting All Over, Helsinki, Finland
2017 — Young Glass, Glasmuseet Ebeltoft, Denmark
2016 — VÄRK (Work), The Glassery, Stockholm, Sweden

Selected Press & Articles

Architectural Digest Italia (November 2024) — featured in residential interior, New York — read
Yale University Radio — interview (HB381 news, 19 July 2023) — read
Meer Magazine — "Bjørn Friborg. Imploded" (2023) — read
Cultured Magazine (2023) — read
Effect Magazine — profile on Hostler Burrows & Scandinavian glass — read
Charlotte Jul — "Sensuous Implosions" (2021) — essay

Representation

Hostler Burrows — New York & Los Angeles, USA
Galleri Montan — Copenhagen, Denmark