THE OPEN GLASS STUDIO TEAM
Thomas Blank
"The fascination with glass gripped me during my studies at San Francisco State University in the late nineteen nineties. There I found my calling to work with this material and to express myself with it. I can live out my sense of aesthetics and forms in the material glass, which I can design and influence according to my will. Together with my partner Nicole, I can finally realize my dream of a studio with training opportunities".
Thomas Blank has been working with glass for over 25 years. After successfully completing his fine arts studies at San Francisco State University, he decided to return to Switzerland. Since 2001, he has been working as an independent glassmaker and has gained important experience in Murano, among other places.
For some time now, he has been carrying out work for other artists and designers, helping them to transform their ideas into glass. His works are exhibited in the Contemporary Museum in Honolulu, the Museum of Design and Applied Art in Lausanne and in private collections in North America and Europe.
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The Museum für Gestaltung Zürich has added new objects by Thomas to its permanent collection!
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To the personal website of Thomas Blank.
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Bastien Thomas
Bastien Thomas is originally from France, where he trained as a factory glassblower.
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Willing to follow a more artistic path, he developed a strong interest in combining his passion for History and Archaeology with his craft, merging the two into hot and cold formed glass objects.
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Drawn to the technical aspects of glass, he always tries to push the limit of the material, combining techniques and processes.
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After travelling to multiple countries across the globe to refine his craft, Bastien has now settled in Switzerland since 2020, where he pursues his career as a glass artist.
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Personal website: bastienthomasglass.com
Barbara Frei
"I discovered glass in 2015, and since then, I have hoped to continue working with and exploring this material in both a creative and professional way.
Molten glass is an inspiring and fascinating material. People often speak of a love-at-first-sight experience with the material.
You either love it or you hate it. But if you meet it and get caught up in the process, you don’t want to leave it, and you try, as best as you can, to tame and work with it!"
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My training began at "CERFAV" (Centre for Research and Training in Glass Arts) in France. I now work at Open Glass Studio and share my passion, collaborating with this amazing team to create unique pieces. I am inspired by the world of "art de la table" and lighting. Everything related to color and light.​ I enjoy exploring different techniques, turning each project into a new artistic adventure!
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Personal website: loveglassclub.squarespace.com
Nicole Kleiner
"My fascination for glass came to me in the form of love. Watching Thomas artistically, almost like a dancer, work the liquid glass is impressive and has enchanted me. As a trained fashion designer and pattern maker, I am fascinated by the mixture of craft and art that is glassblowing."
After her training as a fashion designer in Paris at the end of the 1990s, Nicole returned to Switzerland and has now been working in the administrative field for over 20 years, where she was able to gain important experience in various industries and build up a large network.