Lene Bødker

Mixing conceptual links to philosophy and biology with rigorous and detailed craft and manufacturing techniques, the work of Lene Bødker (Danish, b. 1958) explores the unique liveliness of glass as her chosen medium and its inherent connection to nature. Her use of cire perdue, the lost wax technique first mastered by bronze casters centuries ago, allows her final forms to translate the fluidity of molten glass once cooled. Working between her workshop in Roskilde and her studio on the Sjællands Odde peninsula, her time-consuming practice consists of modeling in clay followed by wax and plaster casting before hot glass fills the empty mold. Surface finishing is completed by hand with a hammer and chisel. The laborious nature of her process contributes to a contemplative approach to her craft; in fact, Bødker often incorporates meditation at the start of each project to create a sense of calm and presence within her workshop. Combining tactile surface treatments with a strong sensuality achieved through the fusion of natural forms and colors, her work also approaches the spiritual, constantly connecting and questioning our position within nature.

Bødker graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Art in 1992 with a degree in Ceramics and Glass, and has since become one of the most distinguished glass artists throughout the Nordic countries. Her work has garnered significant recognition, including the Grand Prize at the International Exhibition of Glass Kanazawa in 2007. Recent highlights include the Loewe Craft Prize exhibition at the Noguchi Museum in 2023 and a solo exhibition at the Glasmuseum Ebeltoft in 2022. Her pieces are part of esteemed public collections worldwide, including the Design Museum in Copenhagen, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, and the Musée des Arts Decoratifs in Paris.