This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
a glass affair
mindfulness at 1100º celsius?
In our recent talk on ‘Glass Matters: The State of the Art of Glass in Portugal’, participants from different areas – master glassblowers, artists, designers, and representatives of respected Portuguese brands like Vista Alegre/Atlantis – showed a deep connection to this material made from heated sand. Despite its challenges, they all have a strong passion for glass. What is it about this material that captivates so deeply?
Its appeal lies in its inherent difficulty, explains Nelson Figueiredo, a Portuguese glass artist and glassblower who manages his own furnace. “Working with glass comes with numerous obstacles. Once blown, glass can’t be undone – so there’s no room for mistakes. Furthermore, you must complete your piece within a tight 45-minute window.
Managing time while performing multiple tasks – rotating the blowpipe, handling tools, and preventing the glass from slipping – in an environment with a blazing furnace, reaching temperatures up to 1100 degrees Celsius, also adds to the challenge. As you engage in this activity, your mind is fully absorbed, leaving no room for distraction. You enter a state of flow, where all your senses are fully engaged. No surprise you feel immense satisfaction when you succeed.”
Lucia Massari, an Italian glass artist who frequently collaborates with master glassblowers in Murano, wholeheartedly agrees. She compares glass itself to a stubborn colleague you can’t avoid and must somehow engage with. “Glass has its own unique personality. To work with it effectively, you truly need to understand it, and collaborate closely with the master glassblowers. If you do manage to create something great together, it’s even more enjoyable – a shared pleasure.
Successful glasswork depends indeed a lot on smooth teamwork with the glassblowers. Designer Emmanuel Babled, with 30 years of experience in Murano, underscores the necessity for mutual respect in this collaboration. “You need to be on the same page as the master, guiding and encouraging them while understanding what’s possible and what’s not.” He stresses that the key to establishing a trusting relationship is by fully immersing yourself in the process: “You have to engage with the work, the material, the challenges, and the personality of the glassblowers.”
In summary, the appeal of glass stems from the complex, intense, and challenging relationship between creators and the material, with everyone fully present and involved – mindful – in the process. Emmanuel Babled compares it to a birth, where all collaborate to bring the glass into being. Together, they unlock the material’s full potential. It’s a kind of magic, indeed!
talk: glass matters
the state of the art of glass in portugal
Speakers
Emmanuel Babled
Hugo Amado
Lucia Massari
Nelson Figueiredo
Moderator
Veerle Devos