Johanna Seelemann, VITRUM
19 September – 15 November, 2025

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VITRUM is a series of limited-edition glass works born from Iceland’s overlooked material flows. Each piece is shaped from locally sourced cullet — fragments of pre-consumer and industrial glass — re-melted and re-formed with the precision of artisanal skill and the unpredictability of molten matter.

In collaboration with glassblower Anders Vange, from Reykjavík Glass, and Hildiberg Lighting studio, designer Johanna Seelemann has developed forms in which atmospheric inclusions — delicate air pockets, subtle irregularities, and shifting textures — and what might traditionally be considered imperfections — are revealed as distinctive traits of each piece. The glass is paired with fire-treated wood, a surface recalling the burnt tools traditionally used in glassblowing to shape and transport the glowing material.

The work draws from Iceland’s unique context, where most glass is currently downcycled or buried, its potential untapped. In this setting, Vitrum proposes a reproducible process for creating singular objects. Each piece, whether a vase or a shelf, retains the chemical purity of glass, preserving its future recyclability, even as it becomes an enduring collectible.

Transparency shifts to opacity; smooth planes dissolve into textured constellations of air and light. Variations are inherent, guided by the collaboration between material and maker. This dialogue — between resource and restraint, between chance and intention — defines the character of every edition.

Produced with H,A,K,K Gallery and supported by the Iceland Design and Architecture Fund, Handverk og Hönnun and Íspan Glerborg, Vitrum is both a gesture of preservation and a celebration of transformation. Numbered and unique, the works are available exclusively through the gallery.

Concept and Design
Johanna Seelemann

Production
Reykjavík Glass
Fjöl works

Lighting collaboration
Hildiberg Lighting Studio

Curated by
H,A,K,K Gallery
Brynhildur Pálsdóttir
Gunnar M Pétursson

Videography
Marino Thorlacius

Assistance
Lion Sanguinette
Laura Laipple
Malin Melzer

Supported by
Íspan Glerborg
Handverk og Hönnun
Iceland Design and Architecture Fund

Johanna Seelemann (*1990) is a designer whose practice is based between Leipzig and Reykjavík. Her studio works at the intersection of product design, conceptual research, and design strategy, decoding the everyday through a forensic lens on material culture, production systems, and ecological cycles.

Her work has been exhibited internationally, including the Design Museum London, the Victoria & Albert Museum, TextielMuseum and Villa Noailles in Hyères. She was recently shortlisted for the Dutch Design Awards, and the Ralph Saltzman prize at the Design Museum in London. In 2023, she was shortlisted as Emerging Designer of the Year by the Dezeen Awards. For Wallpaper*, Studio Formafantasma highlighted her as one of the creative leaders of the future, expanding how design is practiced today.

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