Bertel Gardberg (1916 – 2007) was a Finnish jeweller and metalworker. He is considered one of the greatest masters of Finnish craftsmanship. Gardberg was active as an artist for over 50 years and he contributed greatly to the world reputation of Finnish design. He worked with jewellery and small sculptures – as well as with commissioned works and industrial design. He worked a lot with silver and other materials, such as stone, wood, steel, brass and tin, which were often found in his creations.
Biography
Between 1938-1941 he studied at Taideteollin Korkeaukoulu, Helsinki. He began his working life in Copenhagen. Gardberg moved to Helsinki, where he maintained a studio between 1949-1966. He was responsible for stainless steel and silver designs produced by the Georg Jensen Solvsmedie, Galeries Lafayette department store, Paris and Kilkenny Design workshops, Dublin. Although known for his metal wares, he also worked in wood and stone.
He attempted to revive Ireland’s decorative arts and promote craftsmanship locally. He was the artistic director of the Kilkenny Design workshop Dublin. Between 1966-68. He was the head of design and technical director of Rionor, Kilkenny. Fiskars, Hackman and Hopeatehds produced his cutlery and stainless steel models. He designed wooden pieces and ecclesiastical and domestic silver produced by Noormarkun kotitedhsas. In 1973 he set up a studio, Pohja (Finland), where he continued his activities in woodworking, metal wares, and silver jewellery, into which he incorporated, as previously developed in Ireland, precious and semi-precious stones.
Sources
Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing.
Collections Online: British Museum. Collections Online | British Museum. (n.d.). https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG223903.
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