［Christensen］ My first comments will be on the Silver Prize winning piece, Hisao Nabeta’s work. I’m coming from the northern part of Europe. Maybe therefore, when I have an opportunity to see modern glass art in Japan, I have recognized something in this artist’s work which is not so far away from what I find in Scandinavia.
Mr Nabeta and his wife have a small workshop and they have worked out studio glass together for a long time. Mrs Nabeta has not been educated at an art college, but they have been working together beautifully. I have seen them working together. It’s 40 years since the studio glass movement started in the US. At the beginning a glass artist worked alone in a small workshop and had his solo exhibitions. Then gradually craftsmen and assistants joined him. This is how studio glass has developed. When it was difficult to do some specific processes such as coloring, he visited some glass manufacturers to do the processes.
I like this work very much because this has a strong influence of Japanese textile. Nabeta’s workshop is located in the northern part of Honshu with a wonderful landscape. People visit his workshop with a studio and a gallery. They enjoy glass works and beautiful nature at the same time. Such a workshop with a studio and a gallery in the beautiful nature can be found easily in Europe, but there are few in Japan.

［Takeda］ Next, we would like Professor Yokoyama to make some comments on another Silver Prize winning piece “Dream of Line” by Sahoko Tahara from Japan.

［Yokoyama］ As I myself is a glass artist, looking at other art works is similar to reviewing my own works. That’s why I judge any art works with a tense feeling as if I judged myself. In judging one cannot help clarifying his own ideas. When a person meets another, he/she judges him/her comprehensively by studying the face, the appearance, and the speech and behavior. Thus one judges others’ whole personality. As I have grown, I can grasp someone’s whole personality at a glance. In the same way, whenever I look at some art works, I comprehensively look at their forms, colors, design, techniques, the degree of perfection, and originality. Whenever I judge some works, I only face the works and carefully study them. I never read data in advance. When I look at some works, I never see such documents. I concentrate my mind only in the work. If I have something that impresses me or touches my soul, then I pick it out. After that, I analyze the good parts of the work comprehensively.
This work drew my attention at a glance. I am fascinated with the spindly fine lines, unique drawing as if etching. From the drawing I feel the artist’s sensitivity, esthetic senses, and formation. This is a result of the drawing. The pale yellow makes the lines conspicuous. The glass material is utilized very effectively to make the lines lively. Such works cannot be created with any other material than glass. I think it very nice that the transparent and pretty glass harbors a lot of creativity. The artist’s sensitivity and individuality are expressed in the work. I think it excellent and appropriate for the Silver Prize.

［Takeda］ Next, we would like Professor Harcuba to make comments on the last Silver Prize winning piece “SYNONYMS OF WAVE” by Mare Saare from Estonia.

［Harcuba］ This work is small, overlooked, humble, irregular and organic. It is perfect in the sense of the imperfect with many accidental traces. It is reduced in color. It has a skin. It is something you would like to touch and to hold in your hands. It has all the attributes of WABI-SABI. It is poetry. A Haiku poem in glass. The tenderness and intimacy shows the soul of a sensitive woman.

［Takeda］ Professor Harcuba has been particular about WA BI-SABI these days. It is stimulating to me because it seems he has deeper philosophy than we.
Next, we would like to move onto the Honorable Mentions. We selected six Honorable Mention winning works. First, we would like to introduce “ ‘+-’ | 2010” by Kristiina Uslar from Estonia. We have received applications from various nations and regions throughout the world. Some of them are smaller than Japan. We are pleased that this exhibition has been more interesting year by year. This time three artists applied from Estonia for the exhibition and two were selected at the Preliminary Slide Assessment. Those two are awarded. We would like Professor Christensen to make comments on Kristiina Uslar’s work.