Read the interview with Giggle Glass artist Pharrow Glass Maui. and learn from their glass blowing experience. Discover how ocean gradients, windsurfing trades, and night studio sessions shape their functional art.
Who are you?
I am a glass artist and waterman based on Maui. I moved here about 15 years ago from California. I spend a lot of time in the ocean, I have surfed my whole life and got into foil surfing when it first came out. Much of my work is inspired by the colors and gradients I see just outside the reef. My goal is to use glass as a permanent expression of the fleeting moments we experience in the sea.
When did you first get started in this industry?
I was offered a lesson by a local glass blower in exchange for a windsurfing lesson. He taught me how to make a spoon pipe and sent me home with an oxygen concentrator, a kiln and a little torch. I was making pipes with "Maui" on them and selling them at the local smoke shops within a month.
What New Innovations Have You Been Working On?
I just started investing in some more expensive tubing and colors to use on my recyclers. At the same time I am refining some recycler designs in a clear or fumed style that I am able to do for a more affordable price. My current recyclers all have a very predictable, refined function. You can expect the same slow focused drain on my smallest and largest rigs.
How Do You See the Future of This Industry Going, and Do You Have Any Advice for Those Trying to Break Into It?
Find your niche and dive in! Start making little pipes and pendants and give them to your friends, soon you will have people asking to buy them! There will always be rewards in this industry for anyone with passion and creativity. Treat your fellow artists and customers with respect and be humble and you will succeed.
Any Fun Facts About Your Work Habits or Creative Process?
I work every night around the same time, I have a shop cat that will track me down if I miss a day. I have been playing around with carving reliefs into graphite blocks, filling them with frit and stamping hot glass into the patterns, you might see some interesting pendants for sale once I figure it out!
