Ulrica Hydman-Vallien

Signe Persson-Melin

Ulrica Hydman-Vallien (1938-2018) was a Swedish ceramist and a visual and glass artist. She was educated at Konstfack in Stockholm 1958-1962 and on study trips to the USA, Mexico, Holland and Spain, among others. During her studies, she met Bertil Vallien and they married in 1963. She started her career at the Åfors glassworks as a ceramicist but after nine years of work switched to glass design in 1972. Ulrica Hydman-Vallien often returned to motifs such as winding snakes, tulips, wolves and figures. Her work is often characterized by strong colors and a playfulness. Some well-known model names are "Caramba", "Inka", "Nevada" and "Open Mind". Two techniques that Ulrica developed and named were Juvel and Kabale. Hydman-Vallien is one of our country's most famous artists. Her unmistakable figures have, for example, graced everything from Ericsson mobile phones and British Airways aircraft tails.