Shun Kumagai
Akita, Japan

B. 1983 
GLASS ARTIST

Using a casting technique, Shun Kumagai makes glass art pieces that resemble ancient Roman glass. Born in Akita, Japan, today he runs a private glass studio in Akita City. The artisan shows his works in galleries in Japan and overseas, and is gaining an international following. In a time-consuming process, Kumagai makes his own gypsum plaster molds, pours molten glass into the mold, and removes it after it has cooled into solidified glass. Kumagai mixes in recycled glass from his peer artisans, and the unpredictable chemical changes of glass, dirt and metal create a mysterious complexity within so that the pieces look as if they have been unearthed after centuries. Depending on how light hits them, his works may change in appearance throughout the day and seasons.