GLASS artists will be flexing their creative muscles when a new exhibition ‘Boda Builders’ opens at Wordsley's Red House Glass Cone later this month.

The exhibition, by some of Sweden’s most high profile glass artists forms part of the International Festival of Glass which is being held in the Glass Quarter from August 23 to 26.

The13 artists are all members of The Glass Factory, a working museum and glass centre which promotes creative and innovative developments in glass with a focus on creating new business models to give the glass industry longevity.

It came about as a result of the financial crisis in the early 2000s when several large and smaller Nordic glassworks were shut down.

Sweden was especially hard hit by these developments, with the closure of several glassworks that were part of the Orrefors Kosta Boda brand.

While this was a time of crisis for many companies, smaller glass studios and individual artists took the opportunity to create a new way of working which would allow the studio glass industry to become sustainable.

While providing a work space for artists to create their unique designs, The Glass Factory also runs a series of exhibitions and residences with international projects taking artists all over the world to showcase their skills.

This new exhibition at the cone is part of one of those international projects and takes its inspiration from the traditional Boda glass brand, subverting traditional expectations of the use of glass.

The exhibition reflects the fact that the Swedish glass industry is no longer centred on large scale mass production but is a more international, experimental and interdisciplinary art form.

Pieces include Amy Krüger’s pure white glass jack in the box with vibrant red and green hair and her melted ice cream scoops, running out of their glass waffle cones.

Björn Friborg’s piece ‘implosion’ seemingly captures the moment of implosion within an otherwise still and peaceful yellow orb.

Anna Linda Gabriel has created a series of egg like shapes floating within glass capsules in royal blue, white and yellow.

Councillor Ian Kettle, Dudley's cabinet member for regeneration and enterprise, said: "This is a striking exhibition which challenges people’s ideas of what glass can do. It’s not just a transparent, functional material but can be used to create ethereal pieces, weighty designs, comical objects or thought provoking art.

"We’re really pleased to be welcoming Boda Builders to the cone during the International Festival of Glass and hope that people find these pieces entertaining and worth the visit."

To find out more go to https://www.theglassfactory.se/english/visit-us.html.

Participating artists include Fredrik Nielsen, Björn Friborg, Charles Stern, Carl Cyrén, Hanna Hansdotter, Åsa Jungnelius , Markus Emilsson , Nina Westman, Anna-Linda Gabriel, Peter Kuchinke, Peter Hermansson, Tillie Burden, Simon Kashmir Holm and Amy Krüger.

The exhibition runs from August 21 to September 30.