Phillip “Swede” Hickok

Bio

Phillip “Swede” Hickok is currently a long-term artist in resident at Englewood Arts located in  Independence, Missouri. He was born in Gothenburg, Sweden and grew up in Littleton,  Colorado. Swede attended the glass trade school, Riksglaskolan, in Orrefors, where he obtained  his certificate of Journeyman in Glass, and studied Grall and Swedish overlay techniques, both  of which he uses on much of his work. In 2014, Swede moved back to Colorado to blow  independently and to hone in on the skills he previously learned, while also experiencing the ins  and outs of being a freelance artist. He eventually moved from Colorado to work at Seattle  Glassblowing Studio, where he assisted the production team while also working as an  instructor. In Seattle, he took the opportunity to assist and engage with a multitude of artists  within the glass community and was able to attend Pilchuck several times.  

Swede moved to Denmark, after several years of growth in Seattle. In 2019, he began his  studies at the Danish Royal Academy of Fine Arts where he focused on glass design. During his  time at the academy, he researched contemporary glass design and soon found a love for  assembly and instillation art. Swede completed his Bachelor of Craft in Glass Design in June of  2023. He has exhibited both internationally and nationally, has been a resident artist at several  distinct residencies, and has also completed internships in France, Denmark, and Hawaii. He  continues to strive for personal balance between concept and craft, by pushing the boundaries  of the material and incorporating other materials, such as wood and metal. 

Artist Statement

Using blown glass as my median I strive to push the boundaries of my material. Having come  from a heavy craft background, I highly value the technical skills of the trade and the long-steeped  traditions that they hold, while I simultaneously recognize the limitations that holding on to tradition  can create. Therefore, I have chosen to blend different traditional techniques to create my own new  forms of expression.  

Depth, movement, and the color qualities of the material particularly interest me at the  moment. Most recently, I have been exploring the magnification of the glass and how to create a  richness of depth within the work using the Italian technique of murrini. I have also been working with  introducing the minerals in the colors to each other to create chemical reactions that make the colors  highlight and seep into one another. I do this by using the Swedish overlay technique to expose the  mineral rich colors so it will react with the metals in the murrini or added wraps.