33rd
Niijima International Glass Art Festival
2022.10.16(Sun)-10.22(Sat)
Glass Around 70's is a group of professional glass artists born in the 1970s. When they were students, workshops by domestic and international glass artists were very popular. The collaborative demonstrations by multiple artists had an overwhelming appeal. They decided to form a team to pass on the impressions they had received in their youth to their younger colleagues.
Through his experience as a lecturer, Kentaro Yanagi started "Heccomii's" with the idea of seeking an international scale demonstration using burner work. In this demonstration, They will be making a giant whale.
Fujii used the glass lace technique homaging the blue color of indigo dye from his hometown in Tokushima. He has won numerous awards, including the Grand Prize at the Tokushima Prefecture Exhibition in 2005 and the Judge's Prize at the Tableware Grand Prize. He is also a Buddist monk.
Kakurai is one of the T.A.'s of the festival for many years. He started his workshop in 2015 and had solo and group exhibitions all over Japan. He's well-known for his fantastic technique and unique character. In this workshop, he will show technically challenging switchback work.
As a professor at Akita Public University of Fine Arts and Music, Komure teaches younger students and actively promotes and holds glass workshops. In this demonstration, Komure will make his soft-shaped wine glasses.
Hirota's accessories make the most of the beauty of glass. The balance of materials, design, concept, and technique in her work is wonderfully integrated. It is how beautiful glass accessories should be, with art, design, and burner work techniques backed up by her experience.
For this demonstration, I will make "Niijima Landscape," a vase made of Niijima glass. The base wrapped around a string, crushed and stretched while it is still hot, and formed a surface with lines like the hand-twisting of earthenware.
I wanted to use glass to express the image of the Wave that shares and changes our daily lives. I made a glass plate with the image of waves and wind using olive green and blue from Niijima Glass, rolled it up, and blew it into a three-dimensional form.
Omura has been a staff member of the Niijima Glass Art Center since its opening in 1988 and is currently a professor at Musashino Art University, where he teaches glass. This will be his first demonstration at Niijima Glass in 30 years.
Namatame's burner work has led to new large-scale outdoor installations. His Summer Sonic Tokyo and Roppongi Art Night installations at Tokuhari Messe attracted much attention. For this demonstration, he will be creating Phalaenopsis orchids based on harmony with nature.
Kashida is a highly skilled artist focused on lampwork techniques. He has been teaching workshops at educational institutions and seminars since 2019. He will make a goldfish in this demonstration, one of Kashida's most well-known works.
Yanagi works as a seasonal fisherman in the Lake-Inba swamp in Chiba Prefecture while making artworks and teaching at educational institutions. Mr Yanagi's work has a high level of technical skill and interest. The glass chain moves, and the propeller turns. He will make a light aeroplane with a spinning propeller in this demonstration.