INFEATURE: OLIVER HÖGLUND

ARTISAN APPROACH

AS A THIRD-GENERATION GLASS BLOWER, OLIVER HÖGLUND’S WORK IS STEEPED IN FAMILY TRADITION ORIGINATING IN OSLO, NORWAY. WITH AN ENTHRALLING MODERNIST APPROACH, THIS STYLE OF CREATION HAS MADE ITS WAY TO CURRUMBIN ON THE GOLD COAST WHERE, ALONGSIDE RYAN ROBERTS, SOKTAS CREATES HAND-BLOWN ARTISAN LIGHTING FOR THE NATION’S MOST LUXURIOUS PROJECTS, WRITES CAMERON PINE.

These masters of the mystery associated with a one-off piece, Oliver Höglund and Ryan Roberts create functional designs with a timeless longlasting appeal. By lighting up each space ‘naturally’ through the allowance for organic shapes in each piece, rather than a repurposed ‘production line’ approach, the SOKTAS aesthetic is truly unique. Each individual piece contains a truly original stroke of DNA to form a prized piece of ‘functional art’.

Creating a full spectrum of moods from sharp modernist, intimacy and grandeur in a multitude of spaces from restaurants and salon entrances to halls, bathrooms and powder rooms, the universal appeal of such a natural approach to working with glass has rapidly grown.

Designing never seen before shapes in lighting, SOKTAS has built a cult reputation for creating lavish pendants that reflect the environment, such as the ripples in the nearby river or ocean, to chic wall sconces and beyond, all under the guise of that muted and tempered lighting feel created only with a hand-shaped aesthetic. Since their very first collaboration in 2015 in Oslo, SOKTAS is now Australian made and owned and draws on the techniques of the Kosta Boda Glassworks in Sweden, but with the contemporary collective feel of custom Australian individuality.

“The process of hand-blowing glass is rigorous and intense but essential in delivering a custom feel to a every single piece we create. It simply brings each piece to life. We pride ourselves on skills and techniques we have developed over more than 20 years to create lasting beauty and elegance in our designs. We trust that each individual piece is chosen to exemplify the striking nature of the building itself,” said Ryan Roberts SOKTAS Founder and Director.

Flashback to 2001 when Oliver first learned these techniques, the idea of custom artisan lighting was still a rather new phenomenon, especially in Australia. This process means that the molton hot glass is blown at more than 1000 degrees by Oliver’s hands.

“We come into each project and experiment with shapes. It might work, it might not. Sometimes something happens and one shape becomes another shape. It’s freeform and handmade artisan glass that each developer seeks to frame their projects. The design process is organic, not manufactured in a computer,” Ryan said.

“Shape is our muse when we create freeform lighting from large commercial spaces to very personal and intimate areas. We create a mood to suit each space and, beyond design, adjust the brightness to suit each client. Each piece marries a hand-made artisan approach with modern symbolism.”

If custom and a sense of unique pride is required in a space, then SOKTAS is as collaborative as lighting in Australia gets.

For more information visit www.soktas.co