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Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland

Françoise Bolli

Glass sculptor

Fascinated by the magic of glass

  • According to Françoise, art and craft make us (more) human
  • She considers glass the ultimate medium for celebrating light
  • She works mainly for architectural spaces

“Glass is such a simple material, but it's difficult to work with because you need expertise," says Françoise Bolli. “Aside from its transparency, glass is above all a marvellous substance enabling a vast variety of treatments and aspects, from depth to surface.” Françoise came to glass through architecture, which she found frustrating because she could not build what she designed herself: she felt she needed to use her hands and body. “In my work, I wish to honour glass, which means not being unfaithful towards it. I try to play with it, while respecting its properties, such as its visual appearance (transparency and reflections) and its physical properties (transmitting light, colour, fragility, surface and depth).”


Interview

©G Chevallier
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Your first approach to glass was through stained glass…
I chose stained glass because it is still very much related to space and light, and I could personally make what I designed. Then, little by little, I discovered more about what glass is, and started to experiment with other techniques.
What fascinates you about glass?
I am particularly curious, enthused and fascinated by the multiple possibilities that glass offers. I like playing with light, transparency, heat, technical and craft know-how, elegance, poetry and emotions.
It sounds like you found 'your' material...
Glass is so common, nevertheless it is the most wonderful material. The substance is just magic. It is the only matter that is forever renewable and possessing such a wide range of plasticity, making it possible to work with it in so many different ways.
How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?
Technology and poetry play an important role in my mind and work. I like challenging technology through a poetic angle. I am always curious to discover or develop new techniques. Tradition is tradition only when it evolves.
Françoise Bolli is a master artisan: she began her career in 1987 and she started teaching in 2010

Where


Françoise Bolli

Address: Rue d’Orbe 35, 1400, Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland
Hours: By appointment only
Phone: +41 792157009
Languages: French, German, English
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