Jay MUSLER

I really enjoyed the 14th International Exhibition of Glass Kanazawa. It brought together professors, artists, designers and students to showcase a wide-ranging exhibition of international current trends in glass. In addition, technicians and secretaries helped to make the exhibition run smoothly.

The Grand Prize winner was Hidenori TSUMORI from Japan. This very large piece impressed me. It looked out of control as it reminded me of a giant volcano splitting down the center. Made with a mixture of earth (ceramics) and cullet, it looked like quite a risky undertaking!

The Silver Prize winner was Shohei YOKOYAMA. I was drawn to this piece from across the room because of the form. Up close, it looked like half-cooked glass leaving green-gray streaks running through the twisted form. It reminded me of an ancient bristlecone pine tree.

The Honorable Mention went to Maria SPARRE-PETERSEN from Denmark. This fused and slumped piece had a complex design done by printing water-based colors on glass, and fusing it together.

Another Honorable Mention went to Zizheng ZHOU, from China. I thought it was one of the most conceptual pieces in the show. It was created by taking rolls of fiberglass, fusing them into what looked like giant wet stacked tubes, and then set off with a strand of blue neon.

Thank you for allowing me to participate as a juror. I was honored to be able to contribute my small part to such an impressive international exhibition.

I awarded the Jay Musler prize to “Fly/In between/Sink” of Shiena MIYAKI. Called “Fly Drowning in a Sink,” it caught my attention not only by its creative title, but also by its form and its color saturation.

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