New Zealand-based Artist Creates Landscape Through Evocative Glass Forms

Where you live can have a profound influence on you has been proven right by Ben Young. The beautiful Bay of Plenty in North Island, New Zealand, where he spent his growing years, has had a creative influence on him that he nicely expresses in his evocative glass forms. All his glass sculptures depict the ocean in all its glory.

This self-taught artist, residing in Mount Maunganui, New Zealand, boasts of over 15 years of experience in making glass sculptures. It’s the surroundings where he grew motivated him to explore the local landscape and assimilate it into his glass masterpieces. His creations are of such beauty that today he’s counted amongst the top glass artists, both within the country and abroad.

Young uses a clear sheet of float glass to create glass decorative pieces. He first hand-draws the design and, using models and templates, he then handcrafts the piece. He creates custom jigs, cuts the layers with a glazier’s hand-tool, and laminates the piece, layer upon layer, to obtain the final form.

The most difficult part of the creation is getting the idea. Says he on his website, brokenliquid.com, “I do a lot of thinking before I even start to draw or cut. I work with 2D shapes and have to figure out how to translate that into a 3D finished piece. Sometimes my starting point changes dramatically as I have to find a way to layer the glass to create certain shapes.” The way he uses glass enables him to portray different elements of his conceptual ideas.

It’s not only glass that Young uses for his pieces, but he also merges it with concrete, basic construction material and makes bronze carvings a part of the artworks. This gives his artwork a splendid visual contrast and meaning. One of his body of works, titled ‘Sentiments of the Sublime’ showcases the relationship between man and nature. This body of work was the first solo exhibition he held at REDSEA Gallery, Singapore.

Young has a fan following of over 92,000 on Instagram alone. He’s is available for collaboration and commissioned pieces.

Ben Young

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