Swede Edward Hald was a painter, graphic designer and glass and ceramic artist who initially studied economics in Leipzig and subsequently architecture in Dresden. In 1907, he decided to become an artist and attended art schools in København, Stockholm, and Paris, e.g., under Henri Matisse (1869-1954). In 1910 and 1911 he travelled to the Lofoten archipelago and to Italy. He started painting landscapes, portraits and still lifes, influenced by Matisse, but after 1915 he focused on design. Beginning in 1917 he worked for porcelain factories and for the Orrefors’ Glassworks. Between 1933 and 1944 he was also the manager of the factory. Along with the glass blower Knut Bergqvist (1873-1953) and his colleague Simon Gate Hald developed the so-called Graal glass (Glass Cup) and they developed the Swedish variant of Art Deco. In 1925 at the World Exhibition in Paris, he had his international breakthrough together with Gate. Hald was also active in a number of institutions in the craft and glass industries. He took part twice in the Olympic Art Competitions, 1932 and 1936.
Sweden