Normal Object Factory

Normal Object Factory was founded in 2017 by glass artist Liu Chien-Kuang and ceramicist Alexandra Nilasdotter, both of whom hold bachelor’s degrees in Ceramics and Glass from the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, and Chien-Kuang also holds a master’s degree from CRAFT, University College of Arts, Crafts and Design.

The design duo works out of a studio in the old porcelain factory in the Gustavsberg district of Stockholm, Sweden. Drawing inspiration from Swedish and Taiwanese design history, traditional craftsmanship, and the intersection of these two cultures, Normal Object Factory works with various materials, such as glass, ceramics, and wood.

They create high-quality objects that are as functional as they are sculptural, with the aim of bringing traditional craftsmanship into the future:

“We want to make products that are a child of our time (...): a functional object, a design product, all handcrafted, and yet just a normal object.”

After studying in Taiwan, Denmark, and Sweden, Liu Chien-Kuang has also worked abroad with glass artists and studios in Japan, Denmark, Sweden, and China. Liu Chien-Kuang constantly strives to combine old techniques with new knowledge.

Alexandra Nilasdotter, on the other hand, is a ceramicist and product designer educated in Sweden and Denmark. Her ceramic works, inspired by industrialism, architecture, and minimalism, have been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout Europe and Asia. While she finds her drive in the technical and artistic, the sensitivity and strength of clay, along with simplicity and minimalism, are key to her design approach.

The mouth-blown glasses are crafted by Normal Object Factory in Gustavsberg, Sweden.

The creators say about the glass:

"This glass is the perfect blend of elegance and playfulness, and is suitable for all occasions. DOT is Normal Object Factory’s signature glass and comes in many different colors. All the colored dots are placed by hand on the clear glass body and merge with the liquid hot glass before being blown by mouth into the wooden mold, where the molten glass spins and expands. From its fluid state to its final form, each glass is unique and has its own distinct character, determining the actual size of the drinking glass."

The glasses come in several different colors and are available as both water glasses and wine glasses. 

Since then, Liu Chien-Kuang and Alexandra Nilasdotter have added a well-curated selection of products to their Normal Object Factory collection (such as the Venn vase), and the two designers complement each other perfectly.

By bringing their knowledge, ideas, and experience to life with the founding of Normal Object Factory, and by combining Swedish and Taiwanese craft traditions, the two designers create something new—a design they consider to be a form of pure minimalism.

When we first discovered the Swedish brand Normal Object Factory, we were immediately captivated by their beautiful glass objects. It’s no wonder that the high-quality, dotted drinking glass called DOT is the signature product of Normal Object Factory.

See the selection of Normal Object Factory at Studio Hafnia here.