About the Artist
Hodaka Higashi enrolled at Akita Municipal Junior College of Arts and Crafts at the age of 18, and his first encounter with artwork in his studies was glass making. Higashi explains, “I aspired to become a glass artist as I was fascinated by the way the lump of glass swells to the size of a hand and the changes that occur to the material of glass. Currently, I am working on production at Akita Araya Glass Studio, and I am involved in every step of the glass making process by myself. What is important in manufacturing is not to fall into the habit of prioritizing efficiency and uniformity. There are expressions that can only be created by human hands. These individual characteristics cannot be reproduced by machines, which manufacture to the same specifications, and the appeal lies in each and every difference.”
Perfume Bottles
Hodaka Higashi, who creates various pieces such as glassware and vases, unveiled his first perfume bottle in 2014. The motive to create a perfume bottle was from a friend’s simple query: “Why don’t you make a perfume bottle?” As he recalls, he bought a perfume bottle at a museum shop when he was in junior high school. He liked the shape and felt that there were only a few perfume bottles of high quality in the world, and, thus, this current group of works was born from the pursuit of the ideal perfume bottle he had imagined for his friend
The amount of time required to produce one perfume bottle is enormous. First, the approximate shape must be made by blowing air into the area where the perfume is to be stored. This process is very important, and if it is not done correctly, the beautiful drop shape is lost. Next, facet cutting, a technique used by jewelers, is applied to the block of glass with the drop-shaped hollow inside. This process takes from about 1 to 3 weeks. While checking the parallelism and level of the bottle, Higashi shaves every bottle by hand. Once this is completed, the stopper can be made. The surface, with a diameter of 6 to 8 mm, is shaved so that it fits tightly onto the main body, and, finally, the work is completed with the glass body and the custom-made glass stopper.
Hodaka Higashi, who creates various pieces such as glassware and vases, unveiled his first perfume bottle in 2014. The motive to create a perfume bottle was from a friend’s simple query: “Why don’t you make a perfume bottle?” As he recalls, he bought a perfume bottle at a museum shop when he was in junior high school. He liked the shape and felt that there were only a few perfume bottles of high quality in the world, and, thus, this current group of works was born from the pursuit of the ideal perfume bottle he had imagined for his friend
The amount of time required to produce one perfume bottle is enormous. First, the approximate shape must be made by blowing air into the area where the perfume is to be stored. This process is very important, and if it is not done correctly, the beautiful drop shape is lost. Next, facet cutting, a technique used by jewelers, is applied to the block of glass with the drop-shaped hollow inside. This process takes from about 1 to 3 weeks. While checking the parallelism and level of the bottle, Higashi shaves every bottle by hand. Once this is completed, the stopper can be made. The surface, with a diameter of 6 to 8 mm, is shaved so that it fits tightly onto the main body, and, finally, the work is completed with the glass body and the custom-made glass stopper.
“I can’t always read the movements, and the process of making glass always involves unexpected reactions. I try to control the movement and put it into the shape I envision. I’m constantly fascinated by this process.”
-Hodaka Higashi
Higashi’s works are created through meticulous attention to detail, extended periods of production, and delicate technique. The perfume bottle is merely an introduction to Hodaka Higashi’s craftsmanship, and in the future, we hope to hold an exhibition to share all the variations of his glass works at Arts & Science.
PROFILE
Hodaka Higashi
Hodaka Higashi is a glass sculptor. Born in Miyagi Prefecture in 1989, he encountered glass production for the first time at the age of eighteen as a student at Akita Municipal Junior College of Arts and Crafts. He was immediately fascinated by the transformative characteristics of the material and committed himself to further studies of glass work, graduating from Toyama Institute of Glass Art in 2012. He currently resides in Akita City, where he carries out all of his production independently at Araya Glass Studio. His work places the highest value on marks of individuality and the variations that are part of handwork and craft production. His facet cut glass works include perfume bottles, sake cups, and other objects.
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