Interview with Ikuyo Yamanaka

Ikuyo Yamanaka – Ikuyoglassart

Each artist comes to the table with new and innovative techniques and styles. In this blog feature, our guest artist shares what is in their heart and dreams.

We are excited to feature Ikuyo Yamanaka this month.

Q: How long have you worked in glass?

I have been working with glass for more than 40 years.

I have always dreamed of making a living creating things with my hands. After finishing high school, I considered various mediums such as pottery, textiles, dyeing, and silverwork, but I was still undecided. One day I visited a community art class and saw people making glass beads. I was immediately interested. I tried it myself and was hooked. That was in 1975.

Over the years, I experimented with many glass techniques including glass blowing, stained glass, glass fusing, pâte de verre, and lampworking with borosilicate glass. I was searching for the technique best suited to me.

I enjoyed all of them, but I fell in love with lampworking. Even after all these years, I still feel that lampworking allows for an intimate relationship with the glass, right there in front of me, in my own studio.

At that time there were no glass art schools in Japan. A group of friends I met through community classes and I explored and exchanged techniques together. That was my main source of knowledge. To this day, when I visit Japan, we still meet and talk about glass.

When I first started, I focused on bead making. I wanted to create jewelry with my beads, so I also studied silverwork for several years. In Japan, I participated in various group and solo exhibitions.

Q: Inspiration & Visual Voice

What or who inspires you? Why do you create your designs?

In my mind, I am always in the creative process. I make beads daily, and while I am crafting one, I am already thinking about the design and patterns for the next.

Much of my inspiration comes from the beauty of nature around me. My flower murrini designs, for example, are influenced by what I see outdoors.

I also explore works in various art mediums such as glass, visual arts, and textiles. I look for ideas and then adapt those inspirations into my own work.

Q: Upcoming shows or sales?

I sell my beads online through:

eBay
Etsy
Facebook

Over the years, I have created several tutorials demonstrating different techniques I use. These include:

3D flower murrini such as cherry blossoms, poppies, single and double petal flowers
Sunflowers, snowflakes, and feathers
Implosion beads
Background design techniques

These tutorials are available in my Etsy shop.