17 December 2014

When describing their collection of Ruutu vases for iittala, the Bouroullec brothers talk about watercolors. An interesting reference, for the aspects the vases have in common with the technique of painting do not end with the choice of palette. The essence of watercolor lies in the medium’s transparency, in the layers of glazing that this permits, and it requires great skill of execution, with rapidity and no changes of mind. In the same way glass, in its passage from the liquid to the solid state, demands speed and precision, as the master glassblowers of the historic Finnish company are well aware, taking no more than 24 hours to make these objects. And just as with water-based paints, the beauty of these vases is enhanced by the superimposition of layers of color. Ruutu, which means diamond or square in Finnish, is in fact a multiple project (ten pieces, in five sizes and seven different colors), designed for use in a combination of several models and hues rather than for the iconic effect of a single element. In its liquid state glass is a living material that adapts spontaneously to organic and circular shapes. In this case, instead, it has been imprisoned in a squared form, giving rise to a section of variable thickness that is the product of high craftsmanship, with enormous skill needed to calibrate times and actions. On sale from January, the Ruutu vases have everything it takes to become iittala’s contemporary classics.