Featured Artist: Mari Aoki Knight, Salem, OR

I am a glass jewelry artist. I have lived in Salem, OR for the last 10 years. I first encountered glass art, specifically in jewelry form, over 20 years ago in Tallahassee, FL where I was living at the time.

At that time, I was an aspiring jeweler using metalsmith techniques. But I was frustrated with it because I always wanted to play with colors. With metalsmithing, it was quite limited. Then, I encountered glass jewelry in fused glass form. I was mesmerized with the magical colors that glass creates with the light coming through. I fell in love with it! I took a class at an Art Center offered at Florida State University to learn a basic technique. The rest is history!

Ever since I started working with glass, I have continued to create jewelry with it. I use fused glass technique incorporating metal, primarily silver. My signature work is 3D blossoms.

I have always adored flowers ever since I was a little child and wanted to create my own flowers with the magical colors available in glass. The challenge was how to make it three dimensional. With fused glass techniques, glass pieces naturally fused together into 2D form. After trial and error(many!), I developed my own technique to make 3D blossoms.

Glass is such a unique medium and I just love working with it. There is no other medium that is created with earth’s gift, minerals, which allows you to create your own art form. And then, when your creation dances with light, another gift from nature, what it offers is miraculous! Glass never ceases to amaze me. The more I work with glass, the more I am amazed at how many facets glass possesses.

Lately I have started to incorporate the “reactive” characteristic of glass into my work. I am particularly interested in the reaction between silver foil and various colors of glass. I also started using glass which has unique colors that I create on my own by painting it.

Currently, I am not teaching. But, I would like to share my knowledge if opportunity arises.

More of Mari’s work can be seen at https://www.mari-wearableglassart.com/