Creating a unique world in glass
- Morten started glassmaking when he was ten years old
- He has developed his own special techniques
- His work was recently exhibited in Japan
Like the surface of an unknown planet, Morten Klitgaard's artworks look otherworldly. By pushing the capabilities of glass to its limits and experimenting with new techniques, he creates works that don't look like glass at all, but ressemble something unconventional, like craters of a new moon, or relics discovered on the bottom of the sea. Morten fell in love with glassblowing as a child, learning the basics from his best friend’s father while growing up in the north of Jutland, Denmark. He went on to train for three years with the famous Danish glass artist Tobias Møhl. Since graduating from the Royal Danish Academy of Art in 2012, he has exhibited all over Europe and in Japan.
INTERVIEW
When I was ten, I started creating small objects with my friend to make some pocket money. At the beginning we weren’t very good, but people still bought them. Over time our skills improved, and we made a lot of money which we spent on skateboard gear.
I’m concentrating on surface effects on blown forms, adding patina and working on the transparency of the glass to achieve glaze-like effects. This gives an unconventional aesthetic to my work.
It consists of making small bubbles that burst during the process, giving the work an extremely porous surface. I also apply different oxides during the last firing. This results in the surface looking aged, almost weather-beaten, or made of organic materials.
By using metal in the glass. A reaction occurs and these metallic pigments give highlights, depth and pattern to each artwork, so every piece is unique.
