“Ruutu” is a new and extraordinary series of vases by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec – now on view at Galerie KREO in London. This collection of 14 unique vases that are hand-blown by Finnish manufacturer Iittala impresses with diamond shapes and considerable sizes (from 35 to 62 cm, a challenge in terms of taking the material to its limits and unveiling the highest level of glas-blowing expertise. – a process that involves inflating molten glass into a wooden cast through a blowpipe.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE “Ruutu” by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, a one-off collection of 14 unique vases as a tribute to Alvar Aalto, through 24 December 2016, at Galerie Kreo, London galeriekreo.com

The fluidity and vibrant feel of the mouth-blown glass is highlighted by the use of these wooden molds and lends the objects a unique textured surface. Shades of amber and green differ, depending on the thickness of the glass and the depth of the undulations on its surface, so no two vases are the same.

Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec are brothers and designers based in Paris. They have been working together for about fifteen years bonded by diligence and challenged by their distinct personalities. Their studio is based in Paris with a team of around six people. In 1997, they were spotted by Cappellini, giving them their first industrial design projects.

They began working with the Galerie KREO in 2000 and had their first solo show there in 2001. Issey Miyake then hired them to design the boutique to house his new collection A-Poc. Following commissions for Vitra they have gone on to work with Artek, Alessi, Flos, Hay, Kvadrat, Ligne Roset and Iittala to name a few. Their work has covered many field ranging from the design of small objects as jewellery to spatial arrangements and architecture, from craftsmanship to industrial scale, from drawings to videos and photography.

The designers also maintain an experimental activity with Gallery KREO, which is also essential to the development of their work. Designs of the Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec are part of select international museums’ permanent collections such as the Musée National d’Art Moderne – Centre Pompidou and the musée des Arts décoratifs in Paris, the MoMA in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Design Museum in London, and the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam.