All of the glass artist Akiko Hayashi's works have an airy and serene appearance that brings a pleasant tension to the space. For the past 14 years, she has been contemplating glassware and everyday life, creating glassware that exists “just right” in our daily lives. Her focus has been on making things a little better with each iteration by crafting the same things over and over again. The artisan's exquisite artistic vision transfigures a glass of water into a thing of beauty. Beauty in everyday life is the aesthetic that lies beyond her gaze.

As of July 2024, I will be saying goodbye to creating artwork using glassblowing techniques. I discovered the art of glassblowing back in my twenties, and the journey since then, filled with experiences in various factories and studios, has been truly rewarding thanks to all of you. While I've been working on blown glass pieces that need to be completed quickly, this feeling has been growing in me to give each piece the time it truly deserves. So, from now on, I'm diving into the world of creating glass art with molds. This exhibition is the last time that I'll be showing my blown glass art. Even though I've been making the same type of pieces since I opened the doors to my studio in 2010, I hope that when you hold them in your hands, you'll feel the evolution that's taken place over the past 14 years.
Akiko Hayashi / qualia-glassworks