An amalgamation of iridescent bubbles
- A Japanese sensitivity echoes in Aya’s response to her medium
- Her bubble-like glassworks come from a single blown shape
- She constructs colour by layering structures of molten glass
While studying glass at university in her native Japan, Aya Oki was deeply drawn to the process of glassblowing through observing her life-long mentor Peter Ivy. Upon his recommendation and reminder that the roots of this craft lie in Western traditions, she travelled to the USA to become his teaching assistant at the Pilchuck Glass School in Washington, and to study under artists she deeply admired. Teaching is now integral to Aya’s practice, as it allows her to travel around the world, reflecting on her values, purpose and connection to glass while rediscovering what truly matters in terms of process, focus and teamwork. "Teaching is not the end of learning, but a continuation of it," Aya says. "It is another form of dialogue with glass and people."
INTERVIEW
At first, I was simply curious about blowing small bubbles from one large clear bubble. Experiments in colour and pattern then revealed other properties inherent to glass. I have grown not by mastering the material, but by listening to it more deeply.
I respond to the medium with a Japanese sensitivity for process and material. An innate appreciation for handwork, technique and process guides me instinctively and is revealed through touch, timing and awareness in making.
I allow the material to show me its own possibilities. Glass is a partner with whom I converse and breathe. I allow it to suggest direction through fluidity and resistance. I listen to its unpredictable movements while seeking response and balance.
The plasticity of glass through blowing moves me deeply. In breath, gravity and heat lie infinite possibilities. To respect the material, technique and process are not to accept limitation but to embrace an invitation to be creative.
