National Glass Centre

20 November 2010 - 13 March 2011

The Craft & Design Showcase features Oiva Toikka’s famous collectable glass birds by iittala Glass.

Professor Oiva Toikka (b. 1931) is a renowned Finnish glass artist who has worked for iittala, a Finnish design company for over fifty years. Toikka is perhaps best known for his glass birds collection.

The Birds by Toikka collection started in 1972 and are sought after collector’s items; each bird is individually mouth blown and therefore unique. Today, Toikka’s visions are brought to life by craftsmen at the Nuutajarvi factory in Finland, where the iittala glass workshops are based.

Toikka also works as a designer and artist; working in the performing arts designing stage settings and costumes.

Toikka has received numerous awards including the Lunning Prize, Pro Finlandia Medal, World Glass Now 85 Award, Kaj Franck Design Prize and the Prince Eugen Medal.

The Craft & design showcase also features jewellery created with recycled materials from designers Lucy Harvey, Kate Holdsworth, Helen Noakes and Charlotte Swaddle until 9 January as part of the Re-make/Re-model Christmas Showcase.

The showcase is located on the lower level beside the NGC Shop.