Josefin Bravo, SE

Josefin Bravo’s (b. 1983) journey as a glass artist began as an intuitive calling pushing her to make the move from Malmö to the “Kingdom of Crystal” (Glasriket)in Örsjö to pursue her long standing passion for glass.

After graduating from Riksglasskolan in 2022, she established herself at “The Glass Factory” in Boda. Since its inception, her work has been exhibited at venues like Kalmar Konstmuseum and “The Glass Factory,” where she continues to challenge the constraints of contemporary glass art. Upcoming and recent shows include the Röhsska Museet(Nov 2024 – Jan 2025) and the IKEA Museum (Sept-Oct 2024). In 2023, she showcased solo works at The Glass Factory and received the Ung Svensk Form award, leading to a touring exhibition in 2024. Having worked as a glassblower for less than four years, Josefine has already asserted herself as an artist to watch.

Bravo’s creations, inspired by color, humor, and provocation, are ever-evolving, reflecting her restless creativity. Bravo approaches her art as a live performance, where the creative process unfolds with immediacy and intensity, often accompanied by loud music. Her own musical journey as a double bass player, marked by years in orchestras, chamber groups, and punk bands, has instilled within her practice a sense of discipline and harmony—qualities now central to her glassblowing. When the molten glass, heated to over 1000 degrees, is on her pipe, the symphony commences.

In her artistic practice, Bravo delves into the interplay between beauty and rawness, challenging the boundaries of glass by juxtaposing it with rigid, cold, and angular objects, creating a striking contrast to the material’s glossy surface. This combination highlights the inherent duality of glass: its smooth surface alongside its sharpness—an instantaneous transition between hot and cold that can occur in mere seconds.By skillfully manipulating materials with the force of gravity and her own physical strength, she allows the “bling” of glass to emerge, allowing it to reflect both its refined and untamed nature.