Elin Isaksson

Inspired by nature, Elin Isaksson takes influences from the frozen, Swedish winter landscape and by the striking coastlines of Scotland. She seeks to capture a sense of place or an atmosphere in her sculptures. Previous commissions includes Oil & Gas UK, Glenfiddich and the National Museum of Scotland.

She uses the technique of glassblowing to achieve elegant and tactile simple forms in striking blends of colours. Pieces are often finished by being stretched long and thin, or bent to keep a sense of movement to convey the intense energy that is intrinsic to working with molten glass.

Glassblowing is physically demanding work, especially when temperatures in the kiln can reach 1600°. By its very nature glassmaking requires high skills from both artist and assistant together with precise timings, and of course, is prone to error and breakages during the intense production.

Originally from Sweden, Elin moved to Scotland in 2001 as a mature student to undertake first a BA degree and subsequently a MA at the Edinburgh College of Art. She had already trained in glassblowing at the famous Orrefors Glass School in Sweden, learning traditional Swedish glass making techniques. Further training includes apprenticeships and Masterclasses in Sweden, France, Scotland and Italy.

After completing her studies in Edinburgh, Elin remained at the College as artist-in-residence teaching undergraduates before setting up her own business in 2010. She runs her business from her glassblowing studio in Dunblane, Scotland.