Tora Urup is an internationally recognised glass artist. Since 2001, she has shown a particular interest in exploring the visual effects obtained within a series of circular glass sculptures in vibrant colors of thin opaque and thick transparent glass. This body of work is reflecting Urup’s investigation into the specific role played by color and material in our perception of volume and space and reveals the artist’s interest in altering archetypes like the glass bowl into dreamlike objects.

By combining subtle colors and making them interplay with each other by varying the glass thickness, Tora Urup enables new spatial perceptions that reverse our conventional under-standing of the traditional glass bowl. The interior volumes of these trompe l’œil sculptures seem to float independently of their exterior, and by the careful juxtaposition and treatment of cut and polished surfaces, she is creating a genuine illusion of a seemingly infinite and liquid space in-side a physically restraint volume.

Tora Urup started her career working with ceramic art in Tokoname, Japan in 1982-83, after which she studied glass and ceramics at the School of Applied Arts in Denmark. In 1994, she graduated from the Royal College of Art in London and subsequently returned to Denmark to collaborate with Holmegaard Glassworks and Royal Copenhagen porcelain. Since 2001, Tora Urup has been running her own design studio and produced her works in colaboration with highly skilled craftsmen in Europe and Japan.

Tora Urup’s art works are part of important museum collections such as The François Pinault Collection, Paris; The Museum of Art and Design, Helsinki Finland; the MUDAC, Lausanne; The Craft and Design Museum Reykjavik Iceland; Coburg Glass Museum, Germany; The Art Council, Copenhagen Denmark; Kunstforeningen af 14 August, Den-mark; The Glass Museum, Ebeltoft Denmark, and the Designmuseum Danmark.

Tora Urup, 1960 Born in Copenhagen, Denmark

1982 – 1983 Assistant, ceramics studio Tobo Sugi, Tokoname, Japan
1984 – 1989 School of Applied Arts, Copenhagen
1992 – 1994 MA Degree Royal College of Art, London
1996 – 2001 Collaboration with Holmegaard Glass factory/ Royal Copenhagen porcelain.
1997 – 1999 Member of the Comittee for the Charlottenborg Spring and Autuum Exhibitions. DK
2001 – Studio and independent design company in Copenhagen.
2001 – Collaboration with glass manufactures in the Czech republic
1996 – 2007 Visiting guest teacher, critic and examiner in the Danish Design Schools of Copenhagen, Kolding and Bornholm.
2004 Guest teacher and Lecturer at Haute Ecole des Arts Appliqués, Geneva, Swiss
2005 Lecturer at Musashino Art University, Tokyo
2006 Collaboration with Kimura glass on tableware glass collection,Tokyo.
2007 Collaboration with Fritz Hansen Furniture on worldwide distribution and sale of TU design.
2008 Founder and partner in tablewareshop, “Butik for Borddækning”, Copenhagen.
2011 Collaboration with Bocuse d’Or Gold winning Chef Rasmus Kofoed for servingobjects for Bocuse D´or and restaurant Geranium, DK
2012 – Represented by Galerie Maria Wettergren, Paris.
2016 Glass tableware for the Danish Embassy in Washington, USA.

EXHIBITIONS / FAIRS:
2019 Hempels glass prize. Denmark
PAD Paris Art + Design. With Galerie Maria Wettergren
2018 “Glas-Gefäs-Objekt”. Staatliches Museum für Kunst und Design in Nürnberg.Germany
Japan Return. Glass and Urushi at Galerie A. Petersen Denmark.
The Salon Art and Design. New York, with With Galerie MW
Design Basel. Swiss. With Galerie MW
« PAD Paris / London Art + Design. With Galerie MW
« LIQUID ». Group exhibition in Galerie Maria Wettergren
PAD. Art Geneva. With Galerie MW
2017 Solo. 40 pieces in connection with exhib. « Eiswasserglass » with photographer/glasscollector Hans Hansen. Gewerbemuseum Winterthur, Swiss
« Everyday Life -Thinking Design ». Group exhibition. Japan /Denmark 150 years. 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Japan.
The Salon Art and Design . New York, with Galerie Maria Wettergren
« PAD London Art + Design », with Galerie Maria Wettergren
Design Basel 2017 with Galerie Maria Wettergren, Basel
Japan – Danmark 150 years. Gallery A.Petersen, Copenhagen
D’Days et Panerai. « Submersion : Exploration en eaux profonde ». Musèe des arts decoratifs. Paris.
SILENCE/Maison & Objet. Paris.
2016 Chart Art fair, Copenhagen. With Galerie Maria Wettergren, Paris.
DIALOGUES I. Tora Urup & Eske Rex, Galerie Maria Wettergren, Paris.
« PAD Paris Art + Design » and « PAD London Art + Design », with Galerie Maria Wettergren
Art Geneve with Galerie Maria Wettergren.
2015 The Salon Art and Design, New York with Galerie Maria Wettergren.
IGS exhibition Novybor Glass Museum.Novybor. Czech Republich
Solo.Tora Urup. » Themes and Variations », Gallery Kuzebauch, Prague.
Mindcraft15 in Designmuseum Denmark, with The Danish Artcouncil
Design Basel 2015 with Galerie Maria Wettergren, Basel
Mindcraft15. /Designweek 2015. Chiostro Minore di San Simpliciano, Milano with The Danish Artcouncil
« DG15 – 40 years of contemporary glass in Denmark », Ebeltoft glassmuseum
2014 Solo.Tora Urup. The Danish National Bank. Copenhagen. Soloexhibition in connection with receiving the honorary award
from the Jubileefoundation of the Danish Nationalbank.
Solo « Påogi glas ». By Tora Urup in Butik for Borddækning. Copenhagen
Design Basel/Miami with Galerie Maria Wettergren, Basel and Miami.
Solo Tora Urup .“Seeing is forgetting the name of the thing one sees”. Solo at Galerie Maria Wettergren. Paris
“PAD” Paris Art + Design, with Galerie Maria Wettergren
“Exempla ”.Exhibition and living workshop. Internationale Handwerksmesse München.
“Spectrum”. The Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland.
“Positionen des Gestaltens”. Galerie Handwerk, München
2013 Design Basel/Miami with Galerie Maria Wettergren, Basel & Miami
Musée National Eugéne Delacroix, Paris with Galerie Maria Wettergren.
Dallas artfair with Hedge Gallery, San Francisco
“PAD” Paris Art + Design, with Galerie Maria Wettergren.
2012 Design Miami /Basel with Galerie Maria Wettergren, Basel & Miami
“PAD London” with Galerie Maria Wettergren.
“From Denmark with Love”, Gallery PULS ceramics/Ampersand House, Bruxelles.
“PAD” Paris Art + Design, with Galerie Maria Wettergren.Paris
Tumblers and Plates at “Mindcraft12” arr. by Danish Crafts, Milano.
2011 Tumblers and Bowls at “Mindcraft11”, arr. by Danish Crafts, Milano.
“Pricewinners gallery”, Galerie Handwerk, Münich.
2009 Solo. »Tableau » by Tora Urup in Butik for Borddækning, Copenhagen.
: “ColorVision”, Scottish gallery, Edinburgh.
“Nordic selected”, CODE 2009, Copenhagen.
“Entdeckt”, Gallery Eva Maisch, Würtzburg, Germany
“Modern Masters” arr. by Galerie Handwerk, Münich.
2008 Gallery Puls Ceramics, Bruxelles.
Solo.Tora Urup. Galleri Jytte Møller, Fredericia, DK
2007 « Func Art”, Gallery Drudd & Køppe, Copenhagen
Epal. Reykjavik, Iceland
Janusbygningen, West Jutland Artmuseum, DK
“Yellow”, Scottish Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland
Galleri Puls. Tora Urup & Thomas Bohle, Bruxelles, Belgium
New Danish Glass « Glasss », Designmuseum Denmark, Copenhagen
New Danish Glass »Glasss ». Holstebro Artmuseum, DK
2006 TU collection, Maison & Objet, Paris.
TU collection, Neon, Ambiente, Tokyo
TU glassware collection for Kimura Glass, Ambiente, Tokyo,
2005 Kunstforeningen af 14. August, Jubilee exhibition, Designmuseum Denmark, Copenhagen.
: Solo. »Tora Urup ». Gana Art Center, Seoul, South Korea.
2004 “Stuff” Danish culture festival, Toronto harbourfront.
Gallery A, Tokyo Designer´s week, Tokyo.
Gallery Kullens Konsthandel, Helsingborg, Sweden
Gallery Noriorio, Toyota, Japan
TU collection with Talents, Seoul. South Korea
2003 Solo.Tora Urup at Clara Scremini galleri, Paris.
“Derfor” arr. by Danish Crafts, Paustian, Copenhagen.
TU collection with Talents, Ambiente, Tokyo.
2002 TU collection with Talents, Tendence, Messe Frankfurt.
Tora Urup and Helle Helsinghoff at Blås & Knåda, Stockholm, Sweden.
TU collection in Skandium, London, UK
“La Tradition de Demain – Innovation au Quotidien”, arr. by Danish Crafts,The Danish House in Paris.
1999 “A small exhibition”by Tora Urup, Cite design, in connection with the Denmark festival in New York City.
1998 “Valobaari – Lightbar”, Helsinki Light Festival, Esplanada, Helsinki, Finland
“Kitchenware”, Exhibition of new designs for Royal Copenhagen, Showroom Amager Torv & Arken Art Museum, DK.
“New Danish Glass”, National Glass Centre, Sunderland, UK
“Living Design-Dialoque”. Gustav Lübcke Museum, Hamm, Germany. Klaipèda, Lituania. Riga, Latvia. Tallinn, Estonia
1996 “Danish Crafts and Design”, Museum Manége, Sct. Petersborg.
“Unika-66 kunsthåndværkere”, Designmuseum Denmark, Copenhagen.
“Art – Industry”, Royal Copenhagen Jubilee exhibition at Sophienholm, DK
1995 ”A Bathroom story”, By Anne Tophøj, Bente Skjøttgaard & Tora Urup. Galleri Nørby, Copenhagen.
“Dansk Design Aktuelt”, Sophienholm, DK
“Living Design”, Covent dels Angeles, Barcelona & Circolo de Bellas Artes, Madrid.
1992 The Autuum Exhibition at Charlottenborg Exhibitionhall, Copenhagen, DK
1991 “Never compromise on quality”, Spøttrup Castle, DK
“Glasobjekter”, Overgaden. Institute of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen.
1990 “Design – crafts or industry?”, Den Frie – Center of Contemporary Art, Copenhagen, Dk

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
UMPRUM – Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague. CZ
MUDAC – Musée de design et d’arts appliqués contemporains, Lausanne, Swiss
New Carlsberg foundation, DK
The Art Council, Copenhagen, DK
The Glass Museum, Ebeltoft, DK
Designmuseum Denmark, Copenhagen, DK
The Museum of Art and Design, Helsinki, Finland
The Craft and Design Museum Reykjavik, Iceland
European Museum of Modern Glas, Coburg, Germany.
Represented internationally in several private collections.

AWARDS AND GRANTS
2019 Hempels Glassprize
2014 The Danish Nationalbank, Jubillee foundation. Honorary Award 2014
2010 Inga and Ejvind Kold Christensen. Honorary Award. DK
2009 The Danish Artcouncil Design Award. DK
2009 Bayerischer Staatspreis, Germany
2008 Kunstforeningen af 14. August Award. DK
2006 Esther and Jep Fink memorial foundation. DK
1999 The Danish Artcouncil three year working grant. DK
1998 Keramikbanken travel foundation. DK
1993 Ole Haslund Artist prize. DK
1990 Pilchuck Glass School Scholarship. USA
Working grants from:
The Danish Artcouncil
Ellen & Knud Dalhoff Larsen Foundation
Knud Højgaard Foundation
Queen Margrethe & Prince Henrik Foundation
The Danish Nationalbank Jubilee Foundation