Glassblowing at the heart of everyday life
- Thibaut's aim is to bring greater visibility to glassblowing
- He first trained as a designer
- Transmission is at the core of his atelier's philosophy
Sharing the beauty of his savoir-faire and breaking free creatively, Thibaut Nussbaumer is passionately dedicated to being ‘an effective link in the chain’ of glassmaking. After ten years of training and working in different ateliers across Europe – notably at Baccarat manufacture, and a major glass workshop in Switzerland – he opened Tipii Atelier, in the heart of Toulouse. Focusing on the creation of contemporary blown glass objects for everyday use, Thibaut's workshop is above all a welcoming place where people are warmly invited to discover and even try their hand at this spectacular craft. “It is a visually intriguing process, there is a lot of magic in it. That is why I personally fell in love with it,” he explains. Alongside the Tipii collections, Thibaut explores glass and challenges the limits of its technicality in unique artistic pieces.
Discover his work
INTERVIEW
During my studies in applied arts, we were asked to design artworks in collaboration with the CIAV ateliers (International Centre for Glass Art). It was there that I discovered how spectacular working with fire was and instantly fell in love with this moving, enigmatic process. I also really love the reassuring side of glass, a material so full of reflections and surprises.
After 10 years of training, I wanted to create my own studio and challenge myself as an entrepreneur. I set up the atelier in Toulouse, which was a choice guided by the heart. Establishing the workshop in the city fed my ambition to dust off the trade by making it visible. I aimed to target local people, individuals with whom I can share.
I am a native of Alsace where the glassmaking tradition is very strong. But in Toulouse there is no glassmaking tradition, so I had a blank canvas. This allowed me to free myself from heritage and redefine the outlines of my craft.
In my work, I like to explore the natural world through a contemplative lens. Iridescent sunrays at dawn, granulous textures in a riverbed, or the colourful minerals on a rock can all trigger my inspiration.
