Bertil Vallien is one of today’s most famous and highly respected European glass artists. A contemporary of Lino Tagliapietra, he hails from Sweden, where he graduated at the top of his class from the National College of Crafts and Design in Stockholm. In 1961 a Royal Foundation Grant funded his two year stay in Los Angeles, where he achieved great success as an award winning ceramicist.

In 1963 Bertil was recruited by legendary glasshouse director Erik Rosen to be an artist/designer for Afors in Sweden. At this time the company was is dire straits and needed a new aesthetic direction. Bertil was instrumental in the success of this new direction and the company eventually acquired Kosta Boda glass.  He has worked ever since as a freelance designer for Kosta Boda Glassworks.