Bengt Orup

Bengt Orup is best remembered today for his concrete paintings and his colorful glassware designs such as Stripe, Party, and Strikt. But Formstad Auktioner is now proud to present a relatively overlooked chapter of his artistic career—his work in the world of art glass.
Bengt Orup (1916–1996) began his pioneering journey in glass quite by chance. In 1951, as a trained and established artist, he exhibited several of his concrete works at the Småland Museum in Växjö. There, he came into contact with Johansfors Glassworks, which offered him a position as artistic director. He began working at the glassworks the following year, in 1952.
In glass, Orup discovered new ways to express himself, often working in sculptural forms. Color was of great importance to him—not just as decoration but as a means to define form and create contrast. He also experimented with the thickness of the glass to achieve optical effects. This, combined with his use of engraving, gave Johansfors a distinctive presence in the Swedish "Kingdom of Crystal" during the 1950s and ’60s. Though officially contracted to work only a few months each year, his ideas for new glass designs were seemingly endless.
Orup worked at Johansfors from 1952 to 1962, had a brief interlude at Hyllinge Glassworks from 1963 to 1966, and returned to Johansfors again from 1967 to 1973.
His mind was constantly brimming with new ideas. No one knows just how many models he created, but the number surely runs into the thousands—sculptures, everyday glassware, and bold, distinctive art glass, all in his unique and expressive style.
Formstad Auktioner invites you to a fascinating auction celebrating the multifaceted glass artistry of Bengt Orup.