A riot in glass
- Andi creates expressive and experimental forms in glass
- She describes her standout style as punk-luxe
- Her energetic work redefines expectations in modern glasswork
With unexpected textures and striking colours, Andi Kovel’s glasswork immediately sets itself apart. Where traditional glassblowing can often celebrate symmetry, perfection and technical virtuosity, she has always been interested in pushing against those assumptions. “I want the work to interrupt the viewer’s expectations a little, in a disruption that keeps the material contemporary and alive,” she says. A New York native, Andi earned a bachelor of fine arts in sculpture from the University of Colorado and a degree in art education and theory from The School of Visual Arts and New York University. “Glass chose me as much as I chose it, and I have been in conversation with the material ever since,” she says. In 1999, Andi co-founded Esque Studio in Portland, where she designs glass décor, lighting and functional objects. She seeks to craft objects that hold light, space and emotion, and to advance and mentor other female glassblowers.
INTERVIEW
I took a glassblowing class on a whim. The first time I gathered molten glass on the end of a pipe, I was captivated. The material is alive, fluid, physical and unpredictable, and it demands your full presence. I was drawn to the intensity of the process and the collaborative energy of the hot shop.
To work with glass is to witness alchemy in real time. Sand and minerals transform into something that holds light and atmosphere. In the hot shop, it feels like a kind of conjuring. You are stretching gravity and capturing a moment of motion in solid form. When it works, it feels almost unbelievable.
Glass is molten, volatile and constantly moving. You can guide it, but you cannot dominate it. The challenge is knowing when to push the material and when to let it speak. That tension between precision and unpredictability is the hardest and the most rewarding part of the process.
Early in my career, there were few models of women leading studios or shaping the field. I know how challenging it can be to build a career in a historically male-dominated field, especially in the hot shop. Glassblowing is physically demanding, technically rigorous, and often structured around traditional hierarchies.
