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Seekers Glass Gallery presents the work of Michael
& Misato Mortara, who collaborate on a variety of limited edition series of
blown, cast and fused glass pieces.
Their designs are influenced by the natural
beauty that surrounds them in their studio, which is situated on remote mountain
acreage set deep in the Hawaiian rain forest. The names they select for each
limited series reflect the inspiration of the extraordinary setting in which
they live and work.
As Michael explains, "There is something
both dramatic and dynamic about the manipulation of a molten mass of glass, such
that the process has almost as much appeal for me as does the finished piece.
Hot glass is a medium in constant motion, where balance, timing and rhythm are
the essential tools in the process. Once you start, you cannot stop until it is
completed. Having worked with glass since 1978, I have conceded that it is the
glass that is really in control, as much as I would like to think otherwise.
"My work centers around two basic types:
simple forms with complex color and complex forms with simple colors. There is
no denying the inherent beauty of the medium, and while art critics may decry
the exploitation of that aspect, I have never attempted to direct the medium
away from what it does best. My work is successful for me if the people whose
lives it touches derive some satisfaction from its beauty and a sense of mystery
as to how it evolved."
Misato expresses her thoughts on the glass
medium: "I like the transparency and reaction of the light, as qualities of
glass. The glass reflects and refracts light and creates illusions of light and
shadow. Our studio is in a deep tropical forest, and the forest reflects the
same interplay of light and illusion. Here in Hawaii, the ocean is an everyday
part of our lives. The ocean has the same character of refraction and reflection
that I find in glass."
Born in Honolulu, Michael earned his Bachelor
of Science degree in Architecture, with a minor in Fine Art from the University
of Hawaii. He studied glassblowing at Punahou High School where he was Technical
Assistant to glass artist Hugh Jenkins. He subsequently pursued studies in glass
at two of the world’s premier glass schools: the Pilchuck Glass School where
he studied with Ruth King and the Penland School of Glass program where he
served the coveted roles of Teaching Assistant and Shop Technician.
Michael has worked as an independent glass
artist since 1979 and describes himself as "self taught" in terms of
his designs. He established his own studio in 1989; in 1994, his wife Misato
joined him as his partner in the studio. In addition to collaborating with
Michael, Misato designs her own pieces.
Misato, who was born in Japan, attended
Pasadena City College in California where she earned an AA degree in Business
Administration. She went on to receive a Bachelor’s degree in Business
Administration from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She attended glassblowing
classes under Rick Mills at the University of Hawaii for two years, where she
learned a variety of glass working techniques.
Work by Michael and Misato Mortara has been
shown at galleries, museums and juried exhibitions throughout the United States
and in Japan. Among the many private and public collections that include their
work are the Hawaii State Foundation of Culture and the Arts (permanent
collection), and the Honolulu Contemporary Museum of Art.
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