Backhaus Brown & Egeværk
Backhaus-Brown & Egeværk
Glasskibe brings together two artist couples: Nanna Backhaus Brown and Andrew Jason Brown of the glass studio Backhaus-Brown, and Mette Bentzen and Lasse Kristensen of the wood studio Egeværk. Conceived in 2016 near the harbour at Hundested, Denmark, the series takes its bearings from a coastline rich with maritime history. Drawing on Norse mythology, historical texts, and the forms and symbols of Viking ships, the artists develop the subject and character of each work together.
A ship begins with conversation and drawing. Its silhouette, colour, and smallest details emerge from a shared understanding of what glass and oak can express. Backhaus-Brown blows and sculpts the glass hull, then cuts its cooled surface using the Italian battuto technique; the resulting marks recall the rhythm of hand-hewn planks. Egeværk shapes and finishes the oak keel with poetic precision, allowing the grain, line, and texture of the wood to become part of the sculpture’s character. As the work moves between the two studios, each material informs the other. The finished Glasskibe holds both the presence of an ancient vessel and the unmistakable hand of four contemporary artists.
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