Viewers are sure to find Japanese Glass alluring

Pittsburgh’s year of glass is in full swing, and this summer, you can catch “Allure of… Pittsburgh’s year of glass is in full swing, and this summer, you can catch “Allure of Japanese Glass,” The Pittsburgh Glass Center’s first-ever international exhibit. The show runs through Sept. 16 and features 17 emerging artists from Japan who work in varied techniques of glass art.

Curated by Harumi Yukutake and Tomoko Aooki, the show is featured in the Hodge Gallery, a large, open, warehouse-like space. Upon entering there are several installations and objects that share an elemental theme.

One piece, titled “Earth” by Hiroshi Hamadate, was created from kiln-formed glass and boasts an organic-looking cracked surface.

Continuing on, the viewer sees large block pieces of white kiln-formed glass in an exhibit titled “Incidents,” by Yoshiaki Kojiro. The pieces share a rugged design, with jagged edges and a raw finish.

“Shin Shin,” which translates to the image and sound of falling snow, by Yoko Togashi features fused glass, enameled with a bolt-iron frame. Viewers may have seen this glass technique before in a glass door or window.

“Allure of Japanese Glass” also features blown glass. This technique seems to yield a smoother finish and is found in most functional objects such as glasses and stemware. One beautiful blown-glass piece featured is titled “Watane no Tabi” (“Journey of Watane”), which features three colorfully patterned carafe-shaped pieces.

“Allure of Japanese Glass” will run through Sept. 16. The Pittsburgh Glass center is located at 5472 Penn Ave. For more information visit www.pittsburghglasscenter.org or contact (412) 365-2145. The Pittsburgh Glass center also offers several glass-making courses such as Painting on Glass and Stained Glass Explorations.