In the middle of Lofoten, between steep mountains and facing the open sea, we find the Glasblower in Vikten . Where the Norwegian sea grinds stone into beautiful sculptures, where the midnight sun colors the landscape in warm hues . In 1976 Åsvar Tangrand started with glassblowing , as the first in Northern Norway . Today the glassblowing take place in Glasshytta, a beautiful building in the middle of the magnificent scenery.
In a harmonious coexistence with Glasshytta, you will find the Pottery Tower. It’s Åse Tangrand who here juggles with clay and creates both beautiful and practical tools. The pottery Tower leads you up to the facility’s coffee shop, through exhibited pottery articles. Just a step away from the buildings, you can enjoy the unique nature, with moraines created during the ice melting, and an infinite number of sculptures in stone, shaped by sea and ice.
Take a walk along the beach, or take a village tour – notice how green the grass is, pick some flowers, breathe the sea smell, and observe the sheep in the wild nature.
At the end of the 60 ‘s the fisherman Åsvar Tangrand brought some glass “kavler” home with him to use them in a new and artistic way. Of these, he created colorful doors and windows. He also competed in the Ideabank exhibition in Oslo in 1968 with an exterior door with glass “kavler”. (This was also bought by one of the capital’s shipowner).
Åsvar developed at the same time “Lofotruna”. The symbol in a stylistic way, captures the essence of the Lofoten Islands, with the fish, the boat and the man. “Lofotruna” was first made as a wall decoration in wrought iron. Here too was glass “kavler” used in a refined way.
Fascination of glass and artistic operations led him on a journey to Finland. Together with other Norwegian artists Åsvar was introduced for Finnish glass art in Rihimekki in 1974. On the trip back from Finland, he decided to start with glassblowing in Lofoten. In 1976, a glass melting oven was installed in his basement. With help from the Finnish glassblower Pertti Merilaiinen, whom he had met on his trip to Finland, Northern Norway’s first glass studio was founded in Vikten, in the spring of 1976.
Meanwhile, the first tourists found their way to the Lofoten Islands. Throughout the 80’s, there were large production in Glasshytta and a growing tourist flow to Vikten. An innovative environment with glass and pottery had grown. In 1992, the glass production take place in Glasshytta, a fantastic building in the rocky seaside.
