Hidenori Tsumori
Glass sculptor
Tokyo, Japan
A metamorphic dance of earth and fire
- Hidenori's unique glass-clay composite yields distinct, unconverntional properties
- Years of living in Kanazawa and Toyama shaped his techniques, materials and inspirations
- He attended the Pilchuck Glass School summer programme in the USA
Working with an original glass-clay composite material, Hidenori Tsumori creates his work by observing and responding to the forms and movements that emerge through heat. He received extensive training in glass art, graduating from Tama Art University, Toyama Institute of Glass Art and the glass studio of Kanazawa Utatsuyama Kogei Kobo. "My practice is inspired by the passage of time and the transformation of matter," Hidenori says. He draws on a sense of wonder and reverence for the slow, epochal changes found in nature, such as the formation of fossils and minerals and the movement of tectonic plates. Moving beyond glass's reputation for transparency and beauty, Hidenori delves into the material's deeper qualities in pursuit of new expression.
INTERVIEW
I was taught that firing glass and clay together would cause cracking and that the two could not be used in combination, but I wanted to take on the challenge. After much experimentation, the first pieces of my glass-clay composite material came out of the kiln intact. I was freed from the conventional thinking that had constrained me. I became convinced I could create something truly original.
In the studio, I like observing and reading the forms and movements that the material generates in the kiln through heat. As an artist, I enjoy the experiences, connections and travel opportunities that would not have been possible without this practice.
I took part in a ceramic anagama kiln firing, at Kanazawa Utatsuyama Kogei Kobo. Looking into the kiln, the flames almost appeared to be dancing, which felt mystical. Experiencing the analogue nature of the anagama made me profoundly aware of what it means to fire something, and of the transformations heat brings to a material.
I am deeply influenced by the ceramic values that find beauty in imperfections, such as fire marks and cracking, alongside glazes. This appreciation for the dialogue and tension between maker, material and nature, and the surprising results it yields, has shaped my own work and expression.
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