Glass education/experience
-1993-1995, Punahou High School, student of Hugh Jenkins
-1995-2001, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, student of George Jercich
-Summer of 2001, Pilchuck Glass School, Solid Sculpting techniques, student
of Dino Rosin
-Summer of 2002, Carlton Studios, Venetian Goblet Making Workshop, 1st
assistant to Elio Quarisa
-1998-2002, Phoenix Studios, apprenticeship under Carl Radke
-Summer of 2005, Jam Factory AUS, Venetian Goblet Making, student of James
Mongrain
-2002-2004, Central Coast Glass Artists Studio, Cofounder
-2005, assistant to lynn read of vitrelux glassworks in portland or
-2006 till present, glassblowing teacher at elements glass in portland
or
-2006 till present, building new studio portland or
Artist Statement
Whenever I shape a piece of glass, I feel like I have a little piece of hot molten ocean in my hands. Being able to create forms, vibrant colors, and optical illusions from a liquid has fascinated me from the moment I was first exposed to the glass blowing process. Since then I’ve been in love, and completely hooked.
I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to work with hot glass. It’s been my path for the exploration of my identity as an artist, an American artist who is half Japanese and half Caucasian. Growing up surfing in Hawaii, I spent a lot of time in the ocean. I loved the water, and how it moved. I found that if I flowed with the water, surfing went smoothly, but if I became stiff and lost my fluidity, I would loose control. Hot glass is like the ocean. It takes a fluid touch.
I had the unique opportunity to go to one of the only high schools in
the nation with a hot glass studio. It was at Punahou School on the island
of Oahu that Hugh Jenkins first put a blowpipe in my hands. I spent a
year there in an excellent program learning the basics and trying to figure
out how to work with this strange and tricky material. I wasn’t
ready to give up blowing glass after graduating from high school in 1995.
So when I found I could study both art and engineering at Cal Poly State
University in San Luis Obispo, I couldn’t resist and came to California.
Here I studied under the bazaar glass-sculpting professor, George Jercich.
George made me look at glass from a different direction. Between the years
of 1998 to 2002 I had the opportunity to apprentice under Carl Radke at
Phoenix Studios in Harmony, California. Carl, who is a master of Tiffany
style Art Nouveau glass, taught me techniques that have been essential
to the development of my color application and approach to blowing. During
the summer of 2001 I studied off hand solid sculpting from the Italian
Maestro Dino Rosin, at Pilchuck, near Seattle, Washington. This has opened
the door to a whole new world of possibilities. Early in 2003 I co founded,
and built the Central Coast Glass Artist Studio, a facility for the creative
exploration of glass. I sold that studio and moved to portland oregon
where i'm building a new studio, and plan to concentrate on lighting.
I’ve been lucky in that I’ve always been able to design my own pieces. The process of concocting an image in my mind, and making that image reality through a piece of molten glass keeps me continually excited about my work.
From the first time I touched hot glass to now, glass has become my main passion in life. I am lucky to have been at the right places at the right times. If all goes well my exploration can continue.
(cobra stem goblet, jam factory aus, 2005)