Ola Höglund and Marie Simberg-Höglund trained in Swedish glass factories, and emigrated to New Zealand in 1982. They founded Höglund Art Glass in 1984 in Nelson, NZ, and in 2002 started a second studio in far north Queensland.
In these professional glass studios, the Höglunds use traditional blowing, kiln forming and flamework techniques. They pass their skills on to apprentices and assistants, and upwards of 20 staff from Australasia, USA and Europe can be employed as glassblowers, apprentices, interns and engineers.
They make limited series one-off pieces, alongside small ranges of production work, and have set up their own specialist galleries in Melbourne, Singapore and Auckland.
You can see Höglund Art Glass in the new exhibition Smart works: design and the handmade, until 4 November 2007 at the Powerhouse Museum.