Fumiko Nagano 'Snow Diving II'
Dimensions - H 5cm x W 24cm
Material - Glass
Method - A mixture of kiln work (shaping, melting, or manipulating glass inside a kiln) and glass blowing
Care - Dust lightly
Description
Fumiko Nagano's ‘Snowdiving’ series showcases her specialised technique of brushing layers of powdered glass into a mould before fusing them through firing. The resulting forms are soft, poetically rippling vessels, weighted at their centres and gradually extending outward to delicate, thinner edges.
The dusted glass powder evokes the appearance of falling snow, creating a subtle transition from areas of clear transparency through grainy gradients to an almost completely snow covered rim. This same sense of graduation is echoed in the surface itself, where perfectly smooth finishes gently shift into softly textured grain.
Though graceful and seemingly weightless in appearance, Nagano's works possess a surprising weight. This satisfying contradiction, visual delicacy meeting tangible substance, creates a uniquely engaging experience.
About the Artist
Fumiko Nagano is a glass artist based in Nagoya. Born in Mie Prefecture and raised in Aichi Prefecture, she graduated from Nagoya University of Arts in 1998. After working as an art director and training alongside artists connected to the Seto City New Century Craft Museum, she developed her distinctive kiln-formed glass practice.
Nagano’s vessels are known for their soft luminosity and textured surfaces, created through the careful layering of powdered glass and delicate firing techniques. Inspired by childhood memories of light shimmering through sawdust in her family’s lumber business, her work captures a quiet sense of atmosphere, touch, and light.
Read more about Fumiko's practice and view her full collection..
