07.05.2026

Vessels in Stillness and Motion

Journal Talks connected with Danish glassblower Alexander Kirkeby on intuition and glass's emotional temperament.

In his Aarhus workshop, established in 2022, Alexander Kirkeby translates centuries of craftsmanship into contemporary forms that shimmer between movement and stillness. Here, he reflects on the dialogue between hand and material, tradition, and the poetic tension of glasswork.

What first drew you to working with glass? Was there a specific moment or person that set you on this path?

- I was not naturally drawn to glass at first, but a series of coincidences led me to a glass workshop where a teacher, Anja Kjær, managed to awaken a genuine curiosity in me. Over time, that curiosity grew into something deeper, and Anja Kjær became a pivotal inspirer during my earliest years of working with glass. 

If glass had a temperament rather than a form, how would you describe the mood you're most drawn to?

- Glass is a stubborn yet spontaneous material. It resists full control, but reacts instantly. The tension created by those opposing traits continues to challenge, inspire, and motivate my work.

Your pieces often appear caught mid-gesture, melting, pouring, collapsing, freezing, and you make it feel fluid. What draws you to this contrast of movement and suspension?

- When working with glass, I am in constant search for an intuitive balance between mastering a craft and letting the material dictate part of the process. Finding that balance often creates a space where a sensation of movement emerges in a piece, even as the glass ultimately becomes fixed.

You're inspired by 18th-century Italian masters, and your forms feel both mythic or medieval. What is it about the past that continues to speak to you so strongly?

- Working within a centuries-old craft and tradition means drawing on what artisans and masters before us have started, refined, and in some cases perfected. As a craftsman, I feel an obligation to interpret and carry these traditions forward. At the same time, I am driven by a desire to reintroduce ornamentation and decoration into objects we use on a daily basis and surround ourselves with in our homes.

Is there a moment in the glassblowing process when you feel you're no longer fully in control?

- With every gather of fresh glass there will be moments where control is lost. I choose to give into this loss, sometimes working with it, sometimes against it.

If one of your objects could be experienced only through touch, eyes closed, what would you hope the hands would understand?

- I would hope that it comes across that the object is crafted by hand and that care, attention, and intention has been put into its creation. I want traces of tools and gestures to be embedded in the object’s surface, making it obvious that it is unique in its detail and ornamentation.  

You established your workshop in Aarhus in 2022. How has having a fixed place changed the way you listen to and work with the material?

- Having my own studio and workshop has brought continuity to my practice. It has allowed me to develop my skills as a glassblower and designer, and to work with focus and ambition. It has also enabled me to grow my audience and to supply an international client base with pieces from both my Glassware Collection and bespoke works.

In your collaboration with Björk and Berries, glass becomes both a vessel for scent and a ritual object. Did working with a fragrance house change how you approached form or process?

- Designing an object with specific functional requirements does introduce some limitations, but I often find that these constraints create unexpected ideas and opportunities, which I welcome.

Björk and Berries draw inspiration from Nordic nature and mythology. Did this resonate with existing themes in your work, or push you into new territory?

- We discussed the transition between winter and spring as a central theme, and I feel that I was able to translate a sense of seasonal shift into the bottle’s expression and tactile quality.

What has glass taught you about time and ephemerality?

- Glass has taught me to trust my intuition, and to be present in the moment. The process of working with glass demands attention, instinct, and immediate response. 

And finally, if glass had a scent, what would it be?

- Glass has no scent to me, which is precisely why it works so well as a vessel for one.