Besides ceramics, we've long been captivated by glass and have actively sought after glass artisans to join Eat & Sip. However, finding them has proven to be quite a challenge! The art of glass making is becoming increasingly rare, with fewer craftsmen possessing the necessary skills. So when we finally stumbled upon Korean glass artisan, Azurhaus, on Instagram, we wasted no time! We sat down with Minji Kwak, the creative force behind Azurhaus, to learn more about her work.
Glass artisans like yourself are pretty rare to find these days. Tell us a little about your relationship with glass and how it all started!
It all started from when this particular friend of mine, who loved tinkering with materials, bought stained glass materials and invited me and some other friends over. This was way back in 2018 and there was no glass workshops in my hometown. So, we all looked up how to cut glass on YouTube, followed along and tried our best. Unfortunately, it didn't work out well and no one succeeded in cutting glass that day. That episode flew past and I never thought about it until I got a job and started to live in Seoul.
When I was living in Seoul, I coincidentally saw a glass workshop and that was when memories of the past experience came flooding back. I've always wanted to start learning stained glass techniques so I signed up for classes. The workshop also offers lamp-working and fusing classes so that was where I delved into the glass world!
Minji's work tables in her studio. You can see the various coloured glass tubes she uses!
What draws you so strongly towards glass?
Glass is such a unique material - it is strong and durable yet can be shaped 'easily' into the form that you want. It distorts objects that are seen through it, transforming even simple light into shimmering or sparkling patterns. I love the fact that glass allows you to see a variety of things and how it can be both revealing and obscured.
Glass can be such a powerful metaphor for life. Glass reflects both clarity and distortion, much like our perspectives and experiences in life - revealing what's in front of us while sometimes warping it!
Most of us associate glass crafting with glass-blowing or stained glass so our interest was piqued when you mentioned that your technique is lamp-working.
Indeed, there are plenty of other glass crafting techniques such as fused glass and cold working but for me personally, I like to use a torch to melt a glass rod and shape it to whatever form that I want. This technique is traditionally called flame-working or lamp-working. When the tubes or rods of glass are heated in a flame, it becomes soft and can be manipulated into the desired shape.
My tendency is to always fall back into lamp-working - where shapes are always created freely and in different ways, rather than by making it through a mold. Lamp-working allows me to do a lot of unstructured work and gives me space to explore deeper into glass as a material.
Lamp-working in progress!
Thank you for inviting us to your studio. It is so cosy and welcoming to visitors, especially with the showroom section and the plants around the studio!
When I opened the space, I operated a showroom on top of the workshop, but now I mostly use it as a workshop instead. We set up a partition between the workshop and the showroom to allow people to come and go freely in the showroom while I continue working behind the partition.
The display shelves, that has a wide variety of glass products, made by her!
I like plants so I grow a lot of them in the studio and when I get tired from working, I will take a break by watering them. Looking at greenery also relieves eye fatigue and smelling the dirt and soil makes me feel like I'm somewhere else, instead of at the studio.
Also, in the summer, it gets so hot even when I am just standing still. So it actually takes me a lot more time to mentally prepare myself before I start if I know that I have to work in front of a fire that day.
More glass pieces on display!
What do you do to get inspiration for your work?
I like going to museums and seeing art exhibits but they do not necessarily need to be glass exhibits. Interestingly, when there are glass artefacts, I try not to look at it because I'm afraid it will remain as an after-image subconsciously. That image will somehow influence my next glass work!
I often get inspired by looking at works that used different materials and I will brainstorm on how I would make the pieces with my own techniques and materials. Rather than sitting down and drawing sketches of future pieces, I usually find myself sitting at the workshop and spontaneously combining shapes and colours as the fire guides the glass during lamp-working.
Some of the glass tubes that are in the midst of the lamp-working process.Are there any design shops in your area that you would recommend for people to visit?
I would definitely recommend heading to the Seoul Craft Museum. At the museum, you can check out Korean traditional crafts as well as modern crafts. You can also visit shops that sell the works of active artists. You can easily spend a day there browsing through!
A snap of the creative neighbourhood that Minji's studio is in!
How is the glass-crafting scene in Seoul?
Out of all the various glass crafting techniques, I do see more stained glass workshops or studios that have opened in the neighbourhood or generally, in Seoul. I also feel that there is a greater interest in lamp-working now and there are definitely more people who would like to learn it! I hope it becomes a craft that receives a lot of attention in the future.
The form of the glass cup makes it look like it's dancing with the wind!
I like pioneering first-generation artist, Shinja Lee, a textile craftsman. I like the dedication that can be felt in works made with fiber, which as opposed to glass is a material that has a cozy and warm feel. You can literally feel and see the time and effort she put in for every piece.
Do you have any advice for new glass artisans?
I wouldn't consider this as an advice but it is definitely something I remind myself all the time. Whenever you are working with fire, try to clear your thoughts first. If you have too many distracting thoughts, you could get hurt when you are in front of the fire, so make sure to have ample of rest, be in a good condition mentally and physically and do not push yourself physically!
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You can check out Minji's series of glass tumblers and incense holder here. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of the snaps from our visit to her studio!
Of course, we had to take a we-fie of us with Minji herself!
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