Glass pieces that seem to be aliveI am not sure whether freedom is an adequate word to describe Tomohiro Kano’s work, but his pieces look as though they are alive, and have a unique style. They are certainly eye-catching, and upon close examination, we discovered it was glass. The piece has a lot of different colors and different expressions, quite different compared to ”glass art” made for a particular purpose. |
Encounter with Glass ArtThe name Kano is a name noted in Japanese art history. Kano’s great grandfather was the founder of the Kano school of Japanese art. He himself went to college and studied Japanese art, but became interested in film, and after graduation, worked for an advertisement production company. He devoted 8 years of his life as a creator, when he was in a motorbike accident, requiring him to deal with a long period of physical therapy. |
Creating Everything with GlassThe technique he learned from Yoshida was the ”pate de verre” method, a method that derives from the ancient Mesopotamian period, existing long before the blowing technique. Generally, the prototype was made of clay or wax and a mold was made out of fire proof plaster. This was the mold casting method, where glass pieces were stuffed in the plaster mold and burned. After cooling, the glass was removed and processed. |
Finding the Possibility for MoldingUntil then, no one had made glass art using a glass prototype using the pate de verre method. Kano made glass-blown glass and covered the glass with clay. Then, he placed pieces of glass inside the glass prototype and put it in the fire. The blown-glass prototype and the glass that was later placed inside melted together, creating a dynamic ”movement”. |
ACCESS
- Glass works Artisan Tomohiro Karino
- Minato-ku Tokyo
- URL http://www.kanoglassstudio.com/