Mariko Moriya
Glass Artist
Based in Yamanashi, Japan
Born in 1981 in Ohtsuki City, Yamanashi Prefecture, she worked as a baker for about ten years starting ni 2000, before enrolling in the Tokyo Glass Art Institute in 2008. After gaining experience at a glass studio, she launched her career as an artist. She creates vessels by casting glass into plaster molds made from ceramic clay and other materials, utilizing techniques such as kiln casting and pate de verre. She has exhibited her work at galleries and craft fairs in Japan and internationally. Currently she works at her studio in Otsuki City.
Capturing Time in Glass
Exploring Memory and Nature Through Kiln Cast and Pate de Verre Techniques
She aims to capture in glass the scenery she observed: the buildings and plants that have endured through time, the river and wind that flow beside them, and the memories that linger.
Utilizing kiln cast and pate de verre techniques, she begins by creating a prototype from ceramic clay, which is then molded in plaster, carved into relief, and painted with glaze. This mold is filled with glass powder or grains, and the glass is cast in an electric furnace. After firing, the glass is shaved and polished.
Because each mold produces only one piece, this technique is among the most expensive in glassmaking.