Having studied sculpture and graphic design at Stockholm’s Konstfackskolan (University College of Arts, Crafts and Design), the Tekniska Skolan (Royal Institute of Technology), and the Kungliga Konsthögskolan (Royal University College of Fine Arts), Edvin Öhrström began designing for Orrefors Glasshouse (est. 1898) in the mid-1930s. Öhrström patented a couple of innovative glass techniques, including the Ariel technique. The Ariel style glass came to epitomize mid-century Swedish art glass. Öhrström went on to achieve critical acclaim at world’s fairs including in Paris (1937) and New York (1939). In 1956 Öhrström left Orrefors to be a full-time independent glass sculptor.

Established in 1898 in the Swedish region, Småland, Orrefors became the most prominent producer of Swedish modern art glass in the 20th century. At the height of Orrefors’s popularity in the 1930s through 1960s, the firm’s designers boasted prestigious awards from many world’s fairs. The firm is associated with the development of the Graal and Ariel glass techniques, both considered distinctly Swedish styles of art glass. Since 1997, the firm has operated under the Danish design manufacturer, Royal Scandinavia. The Småland-based manufacturer closed in 2013.