Organic Glass Sculptures
Fragility and resiliency... a metaphor for life.
Garden Micro-Organisms by Kim KototamaLune
French-Vietnamese glass artist, Kim KotoamaLune builds lace-like organic structures out of glass. Her work seems to float in space and exist as living organisms appearing out of the dark gallery space.
See
“Glass – a solid that has forgotten its liquid molecular nature, proves to be an accurate medium to express this both frail and strong dimension of life. Matter that borders on the immaterial in a troubling way, thus bringing the invisible out within the visible”
-Kim KototamaLune (tenarts)
Bourgeon Ancetres (Burgeoning Ancestors)
Solid with Liquid Qualities: Although glass is a solid, it has an amorphous structure similar to a liquid. It doesn't have a regular crystalline structure like other solids.
Le Chant du Ven tre (The Song of the Belly)
Symbolism in Life: Glass is used as a metaphor for life, embodying both fragility and strength. Just as glass can be both delicate and durable, life has moments of vulnerability and resilience.
Odeurde La Lune (Scent of the Moon)
Bordering the Immaterial: Glass, with its transparency, occupies a space between the tangible and the intangible. It is a physical substance that can be seen through, almost making it seem less material.
Crepuscule Des Ames (Twilight of Souls)
Visible and Invisible: The idea that glass "brings the invisible out within the visible" highlights its ability to reveal what is usually hidden. By being transparent, glass allows light and images to pass through it, making the invisible (such as light) visible.
Une espèce d’éternité (A kind of eternity)
Say
Glass is portrayed by KototamaLune as a powerful symbol that captures the essence of life's dualities and the fine line between the material and immaterial.
Which of her artworks is most impressive in your view? Why?
What other material might an artist use that could achieve a similar effect?
The artist's process of creating glass sculptures involves intense and prolonged effort, even though the final pieces appear effortlessly organic. This meticulous work, especially on a large scale, demands significant time and likely has a substantial physical impact on the artist. Imagine how it would feel to spend hours creating these intricate glass pieces.
What activity do you participate in that you might liken to the stamina and concentration necessary for KototamaLuna as she creates these sculptures? Is it worth it?
Do
Look at each piece carefully. Interpret each piece with and without the titles.
I was not able to find a title for the one above. Name it!
Recreate the appearance of these intricate glass sculptures by using a white gel pen on black paper. Draw a series of shapes that gradually decrease in size as they move towards the edges of the paper.
About Kim KototamaLune
Kim KototamaLune was born in Vietnam and now lives and works in France, and has studied multiple languages. Cultural identity, the origins of life, and in-between spaces play into her inspirations. KototamaLune shares with Colossal that she seeks to create an “uncharted territory in order to engage in a silent dialogue with the ‘strangers’ living in us. Those sculptures arise from the will to recover within each of us what is common in our fetal origins.'” (artnet)
Galerie Da End represents Kim KototamaLune
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Amazing!