Pâte de verre is a kiln-casting process in which coloured powdered glass is packed into a plaster mould, then fired at a high temperature. The result is a relatively thick, somewhat opaque object. In this video, Shin-ichi Higuchi shows a similar, yet very different process. After years of research and experimentation, he shares his rediscovery of a late 19^th-century/early 20^th-century pâte de verre process for making eggshell thin, translucent vessels. Deeply inspired (and challenged) by the work of French Art Nouveau artists François-Emile Decorchemont and Albert Dammouse, Higuchi reveals his creative voice in a very challenging medium.
Filmed at the Hihuchis’ studio in Japan, Shin-ichi Higuchi methodically leads us through this painstaking, but beautiful, process which invites exploration by other contemporary artists.