Meet Cristian Gazmuri | Glass Artist & Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cristian Gazmuri and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cristian, what do you attribute your success to?
Digging into my creative process and having faith that what I’m producing is going to be well recieved. I know my work isn’t for everyone and that’s the strength of it. It’s niche and when it resonates with someone, it’s a strong connection to the point that people will pay thousands for some of my pieces. I also keep in mind that smaller, affordable items will pay the regular bills and to be practical about striking that balance in my output. I try to stay relevant by staying different.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My work is an ode to glass. More precisely it’s a recognition that the process of working with glass involves both stillness and movement. All my pieces are about ice, snow, and melting and freezing. It’s about how glass is the best medium to represent the natural look of ice. The experience I have behind the torch while working us tgat the glass melts, and the finished product is frozen in place for the collector to enjoy. There is something interesting about the idea that I use flame and fire to discover that glass can be cold and icy. It was very difficult to get here, it’s constant experimentation and failure to build each process to be able to make a piece. The medium itself is very unforgiving, but there is more to be learned from a tough medium and more wisdom to discover in the possibilities of glass than many other media. I overcome many of the issues that I encounter with glass through perseverance and through a conversation with myself that is loving and understanding. I learned midway through my career that being judgmental and hard on yourself can only work for so long before you must surrender to your own humanity and practice self love.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I would say the botanical gardens are a must, so much beauty in one place. I’d also recommend lou’s Italian or corner ramen for food. You also can’t miss with some of the hot-pot spots here. I’d also recommend visiting in September or April for the mineral shows here, second only to Tucson. City Park is great for walks, and the nightlife on Larimer is amazing.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve learned from a multitude of artists, one of them was Robert Mickelsen, who makes sculptural glass. I took a class from him in the beginning of my career and it had a big influence on how I approach the medium and how I market and price my work.

Website: https://Www.chakaglass.com

Instagram: @chakaglass

Image Credits
Cristian Gazmuri