Ascension | Glass sculpture

The creation of Ascension relied on a combination of glass casting and cold-working techniques to shape its form and bring out its optical effects. The suspended bubbles within the sculpture were created through intricate layers and precise water-jet cutting before firing the piece.

The process of creating Ascension was intricate and required careful planning at every stage. It began with a cube prototype sculpted in styrofoam, which was securely anchored with heavy-duty tape before being encased in a hard plaster-silica mix to create the mold.

From there, the idea was thoughtfully developed to achieve the illusion of floating, rising air within the glass. This effect was achieved through the precise placement of water-jet-cut holes, each 2.5 cm in diameter, in five carefully calculated glass blocks. Each block featured two holes and was set at a gradually shifting angle, a subtle progression that produced the visual effect of ascension as the eye follows the sculpture upward. These openings strategically trapped air as the piece melted in the kiln at 850ºC.

Following the kiln-forming process, the glass underwent a slow, two-week annealing cycle to strengthen the structure and relieve internal stresses. This was succeeded by several weeks of cold-working—a meticulous phase of grinding, smoothing, and polishing. Through this process, each surface was refined to achieve optical clarity, allowing the internal reflections of Ascension to emerge.

Ascension was crafted using Ohara’s eco-optical glass S-BSL7, known for its exceptional clarity. This high-quality glass is free from lead and arsenic, ensuring a pure composition that enhances the sculpture’s optical effects and light transmission.

Bringing Ascension to life took several months, beginning with the conceptual design and continuing through the precise glass calculations, mold-making, firing, and polishing.