An Island of Light1- 30 September 2026
Loretta H. Yang 杨惠姗
©All rights reserved
Loretta H. Yang 杨惠姗
©All rights reserved
Loretta H. Yang 杨惠姗
©All rights reserved
Loretta H. Yang 杨惠姗
©All rights reserved
Loretta H. Yang 杨惠姗
©All rights reserved
Loretta H. Yang 杨惠姗
©All rights reserved

Loretta H. Yang 杨惠姗

LIULIGONGFANG

Glass sculptor

Shanghai, China

A play of colour and culture

  • Loretta's practice centres on reviving an Asian pâte de verre technique
  • Her glass artworks explore philosophical concepts through colour and form
  • She prioritises the reuse of excess glass and responsible energy consumption

Loretta H. Yang is a pioneer of contemporary Asian liuli art, a historic glassmaking form steeped in Buddhist philosophy. Transitioning from an award-winning acting career to a glass practice in 1987, she revived pâte de verre to forge a unique language of light and time. "Liuli is a way of perceiving: form emerges through the interplay of light and glass. Air bubbles, density and refraction become expressions of transformation," Loretta says. "Transparency is a way of understanding how life forms, dissolves and evolves." Rooted in Asian thought, her work explores impermanence, presence and being. Her art is held in major institutions, including the V&A, the Palace Museum and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs.

Loretta H. Yang 杨惠姗 is a master artisan: she began her career in 1987 and she started teaching in 2000.

INTERVIEW

I started my practice in glass in 1987, with a focus on the revival of pâte de verre. At the time, the technique had largely disappeared in Asia. My workshop became not only a place of making, but a space of research and reflection. Through it, I sought to explore glass as a medium capable of carrying cultural meaning, emotion and philosophical thought.

Leaving behind a career in acting, I dedicated myself to glass, seeking lifelong learning. A transformation occurred when I realised liuli, a Chinese glass art form, was a language that carries the cultural memory of pâte de verre. My practice then moved beyond technique to expression, exploring scale, light and transparency.

Remain open and in dialogue with the world. Sensitivity to material develops through observation, reflection and exchange. Through persistence and repetition, technique evolves, and your work gradually finds its own voice. Finally, understand history's importance. Craft is not isolated, it is part of a continuum. Knowing what came before provides depth, clarity and stronger direction in your practice.

My practice prioritises responsibility to people and the environment. I integrate excess glass from casting into new works. In recent years, I have combined reclaimed glass with wood to create functional objects such as coffee tables. I also refine processes to lower energy consumption and carbon emissions.

Loretta H. Yang 杨惠姗

LIULIGONGFANG

Glass sculptor

Shanghai, China

ADDRESS

Address upon request, Shanghai, China

AVAILABILITY

By appointment only

LANGUAGES

Chinese, English

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