Duality | Glass sculpture

Duality was created using a combination of glass casting and cold-working techniques. The internal forms resulted from controlled modeling and precise water-jet cutting completed before melting.

Duality began with a fine-art plasticine prototype. The central organic shape at the sculpture’s base was originally hollow in the prototype, but the optical glass gives the illusion of a solid, suspended volume—thus playing with perception.

To form the twin swirling shapes on either side, I drilled precise waterjet-cut holes into the glass before melting. The sculpture relied on four carefully calculated glass blocks, with mathematical formulas used to determine the exact size of each piece to create the intended internal patterns.

Before kiln-forming, I applied specific surface treatments to the glass to create internal effects once melted. The firing and annealing process took place over two weeks, gradually shaping the piece while also relieving internal stress in the glass. This stage was essential not only for forming the floating elements but also for achieving the illusion of duality embedded within the sculpture.

After the kiln stage, I spent several weeks cold-working—grinding and polishing each surface so that the visual depth of the final form could emerge and the optical illusions would come to life.

Duality was created using Ohara’s eco-optical glass, a crystal-clear material known for its purity and light-transmitting qualities. While the sculpture itself contains no pigment, the vivid blue effects occur due to how the glass absorbs and bends light—an optical phenomenon that can shift depending on the environment.

Creating Duality took a little over three months from initial concept to final polish. The process involved multiple stages—beginning with sculpting the prototype, moving on to planning the internal structure, and preparing the glass for firing. The kiln cycle alone spanned two weeks, and the cold-working process added several more. Altogether, it was a slow, deliberate process that required patience and precision at every step.