Why is it so difficult to become a glassblower in Singapore?

“It’s challenging due to the lack of educational facilities, career prospects and market enthusiasm. Glass blowing takes years to learn and even longer to master.

Unlike Australia, there seemed to be little interest in the applied arts when I came to teach here. There were only a few students interested to learn more about hot glass. Being a “labourer” is not really considered a viable or preferred occupation, whereas accounting, management and office-work occupations are.

And yet, there are makers who have reached out to me and continue pursuing their passion – spending hours learning, researching and making glass even without sustaining remuneration.”

What are some of your favourite installations?

“One of my favourites was Sculpture by the Sea where I installed Swirling Surround. This was an outdoor exhibition of artworks on Sydney’s Tamarama Beach and Cottesloe Beach in Perth. The artwork was created in Singapore and installed in Australia. It won the 2019 People’s Choice Award in Cottesloe and the Grand Prize for Best Artwork in an exhibition at Killalea, Wollongong in 2019.”

“Another highlight is Wild Flowers − the first freestanding installation I was commissioned to create in Singapore. I love the colours and the 3D swirling metal frame which offers support to the delicate glass blooms. I created all the glass here myself, working with metal fabricators based in Johor.”

How long does it take to create an exhibition, and what are some challenges involved in the process?

“Solo exhibitions take about a year of conceptualising and making. Larger installations take longer – more than a year and up to four years. Other aspects such as developing new fixtures to hold the glass are uniquely developed for each project, to ensure the work is safe to be installed long term within public spaces.

The size of these installations means that time is required to make the glass and metal, so they can effectively be attached to surrounding architectural structures. This involves collaboration with interior designers, architects and contractors to ensure the artwork is structurally sound as well as aesthetically satisfying.

With little or no studio glassblowers within the Southeast Asian region, I have to reach out to others farther afield to make specific types of art glass, to ensure quality for particular components.”

How would you describe your design aesthetic?

“My exhibition practice has addressed notions of the personal – imbued with memories and nostalgia – to investigate ideas of personal history and cultural location. I work with the fragility of glass, incorporating soft and elusive patterns combined with poignant found objects and abstracted texts.

In Singapore, I had the chance to work outside the exhibition genre and create more permanent artworks of substance and stature for public spaces. My creative direction shifted as I began to focus on these larger-scale architectural installations.

My love of bold colour makes for some bright and confident statements. Being part of the making process ensures the ‘hand of the artist’ is ever-present within the work too.”

Do other fields like fashion and art influence your creative impulses?

“Yes – I am always looking for new developments and trends happening in the fashion and architectural fields of practice. Artists are always pushing the boundaries of design and technology. New materials and computer-aided design processes continue to elevate the field and encourage innovation.”

Who are some glassblowers you admire and have influenced your work?

“Someone who influenced my formative years was Dale Chihuly, for his extravagance and delight of colour and glass. He is a master marketer and a visionary for invigorating the growth of the studio glassmaking movement.

There’s also Josiah Mcelheny, my teacher at the Pilchuck Glass School who taught me how to make a good punty, blow the bubble thin and craft objects with deeper meaning and intent.

And finally, Lino Tagliapietra, one of the greatest living glassblowers from Murano, Italy. I had the good fortune to watch him blow glass in Australia, New Zealand and the USA during demonstration workshops. Many of the things he taught me, I teach my students today.”

The most exciting project in 2021 is to build a public access hot glass studio in Singapore, where teaching and learning will be my primary aim. Students can learn to blow glass − whether it be making a bracket of beads, a happy tumbler to drink a favourite beverage or a glass dish to bring a little colour into the home.

The Refind business, started in 2020, has a clear mandate to focus on the issues of sustainability and education. Within the school, we will be working with recycled and upcycled materials from my project works and from recycled bottles and jars.

I am also reaching out to local businesses to find ways to use glass and create closed-loop sustainable initiatives.

You also conduct glass-blowing workshops in Singapore. What can participants expect to learn from your workshops?

“I teach beginners to focus on the development of embodied knowledge and enable them to make a blown glass vessel themselves − within their first hour of hot-glass making.

Once students embark on a longer series of classes, I focus on improving their skills and developing a deeper understanding of how glass moves. We then delve into different glassmaking techniques.

Hopefully, we can host an exhibition of Singapore-based glassblowers by the end of 2021.”