Gunnel Nyman

Beauty captured in glass - Gunnel Nyman - 100 years. The Finnish Glass Museum, Riihimäki. Pages 85, 142

Gunnel Gustafsson-Nyman (1909–1948) was a Finnish glass artist and designer who became a significant pioneer in early modern Finnish glass design. Her work included both functional objects and art glass, and her pieces are represented in international museum collections.
She studied furniture design at the School of Industrial Arts from 1928 to 1932 under the guidance of Arttu Brummer. At the beginning of her career, she worked in a functionalist style, designing furniture for the Stockmann and Boman factories as well as lighting fixtures for Idman’s lighting factory.
Although Nyman was not formally trained as a glass artist, she began designing glass during the 1930s and 1940s and collaborated with several leading Finnish glassworks, including Riihimäki, Karhula, Iittala, and, during the final years of her career, Nuutajärvi.
Nyman received significant international recognition, including a gold medal at the 1937 Paris World Exhibition and medals at the Milan Triennials. Her works are held in the collections of several prestigious museums, including the British Museum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Although Nyman passed away at a young age, her influence on glass art extends far into postwar Finnish design.