The fluidity of glass
- Nicholas is a third-generation glassmaker
- He studied glassblowing at North Carolina’s Penland School of Crafts
- His hydro-powered studio is set inside a historic paper mill on the Connecticut River
Nicholas Kekic makes colourful and functional pieces whose elegant, sculptural lines evoke the fluidity of molten glass. His grandfather was an industrial glassworker at General Electric, while his father built the first glass studio and programme for New York’s Rochester Institute of Technology. Nicholas credits his technical skills and professional success to his time at the Penland School of Crafts, as well as the experience of learning from and working alongside established glass craftsmen as an apprentice. “I wanted to learn as much as possible about making beautiful things and building my own equipment, as well as how to run a business and sell my work,” he says. In 2018, Nicholas built a studio in an old paper mill on a river so he could use hydroelectric power to creates his pieces.
Discover his work
INTERVIEW
I borrow from a lot of different cultural glass traditions, in particular the Italian and European works of the mid 20th century. I also find ideas from traditional ceramic forms and basketry, and I look for inspiration from the magical properties of glass itself.
I prefer to make pieces that seem simple at first glance but reveal their complexity in their form. Glass starts as a super hot puddle of molten liquid. Coaxing it into a final product while retaining some of that original fluidity is part of my goal. Bright colours are also a feature of my work.
I feel very lucky to work with glass. It is singular in its materiality, it can be blown, cast, fused or shaped in a plastic state. It is transparent, but you can also make it look like ceramics or wood. Glass is such a dynamic and challenging material. There is nothing mundane about it, it is alchemy.
Through time, practice and hard work, I have transcended a lot of the boundaries that limited me in the beginning. I am having more fun playing and expressing myself with greater ease. Still, glass always humbles you, especially if you try new things every day.
