Gunnel Nyman (1909–1948) was one of the pioneers of modern Finnish glass design. Born Gunnel Anita Gustafsson in Turku, she studied furniture design at Helsinki’s Central School of the Industrial Arts from 1928–1932 under Arttu Brummer. Early in her career she worked in the functionalist style, designing furniture for the Boman factory and lamps for the lighting companies Taito and Idman. She also created ecclesiastical metalwork and collaborated with Taito AB on lighting for Helsinki’s Swedish Theater.
After the Second World War Nyman shifted her focus to glass, working with Finland’s leading glassworks—including Riihimäki, Karhula‑Iittala, and Nuutajärvi—and became a driving force in the country’s post‑war design renaissance. Her glass pieces are noted for their organic forms and for emphasising the “plastic quality” of molten glass; they range from delicately blown art pieces to mould‑blown vases and tableware. Among her most celebrated designs are the Serpentiini (“Serpentine”), Calla and Helminauha (“String of Pearls”) vases, which collectors prize for their lyrical shapes. Nyman received significant recognition during her lifetime, winning a gold medal for glass at the 1937 Paris International Exposition and bronze at the 1933 Milan Triennial; she was posthumously awarded a gold medal at the 1951 Milan Triennial Despite her career being cut short by her death in 1948, Gunnel Nyman’s work laid the foundations for Finnish modern glass and continues to influence designers and collectors today.
