by Louise Irvine

Last month, Arthur Wiener, the museum’s founder and benefactor, sponsored an artist dinner and glassblowing demonstration featuring Jason Christian at the Benzaiten Center for Creative Arts in Lake Worth Beach. The WMODA team first met Jason during a visit to Dale Chihuly’s Boathouse Studio in Seattle, where he has been an integral member of the hot shop since 2008. He has also worked with international artists, such as Pino Signoretto and Lino Tagliapietra, whom he assisted for ten years before the maestro retired to Murano.

At Jason’s after-dinner talk at Benzaiten, we heard about his career in glass, which began at 21 when he first saw glassblowing and found a job as a factory charger, shoveling raw materials into a furnace. He had no formal education and gradually developed his skills and knowledge through hands-on experience and watching great glass artists at work.

“I still don’t know if I chose glassblowing, or if it chose me. I just knew that the moment I walked into that studio and saw what was being created I had to be a part of it. Finding glassblowing felt magical, like I was made for it.”

Jason Christian 

Jason met Dale Chihuly while assisting Martin Blank and has spent 18 amazing years working with the tight-knit Boathouse team on exciting projects, traveling with them to Finland and Japan. He also assisted Lino Tagliapietra, who advised him on caring for his body amid the grueling demands of glassblowing. Jason is a cold-plunger at his local beach in 45°F water, which he advocates to reduce inflammation.

In addition to helping the Chihuly team, Jason also has his own studio at home and gets up at 3:30 am every day to light the glory hole, cut canes, and make components for his own work. He pushes the boundaries of his craft, combining the delicate complexity of classical Venetian techniques, such as reticello, with exciting new forms, including his iconic Yo-Yos and Bumbershoots. These striking umbrella forms are inspired by the renowned Bumbershoot festival in Seattle, named after the colloquial term for an umbrella.

Some of Jason’s most intricate work was inspired by reading his mother’s coffee-table book on Fabergé eggs and by aspiring to the superb craftsmanship of Russian artisans. Jason’s art is deeply influenced by his family, personal experiences, and the nostalgia of growing up in the Pacific Northwest. He was born in 1976 in the year of the Chinese Fire Dragon, and his interest in dragons was fueled at a young age by the local Asian community in Seattle. He spent a lot of time in the International District, where he was impressed with the incredible dragon mural in Hing Hay Park. Chinese dragons are considered a symbol of power, strength, and good luck for people who are worthy of it, and those born in the year of the Fire Dragon are smart and easy-going.

“Nostalgia is what inspires my most significant works. Being fueled by emotion, I don’t know precisely why I am creating a piece; I know I must. I try to interpret that feeling in my work to have someone see it and evoke the same emotions I used to create a piece.” 

Jason Christian 

As well as dragons, Jason is fascinated by the symbolism of the phoenix, the immortal bird from Greek mythology that rises from the ashes. He often incorporates the legendary bird of fire with his intricate filigrana vessels.

Jason is now one of the most respected artists in the studio glass world, and he explained that the camaraderie within the industry fostered an environment of growth and exploration, pushing him to become a better artist and to grow beyond himself. He explains that you must forfeit your ego to make a glass object in a team. Even if you don’t speak the same language, everyone knows the dance.

Jason wants to give back to the glass community and share his experiences through teaching and workshops. He has been invited to many schools, including Urban Glass, the Pilchuck Glass School and Penland School of Craft. He has also been a demonstrating artist in Turkey and Finland.

Jason particularly enjoys his work with the Hilltop Artists, a Tacoma nonprofit that uses glass to empower youth aged 12-26. His talented young assistant, Jack Spitzer, graduated from this program and now travels with Jason to demonstrations, such as Benzaiten. During his two demonstrations at the Benzaiten hot shop, Jason created a Venetian-style filigrana chalice with dragons on the stem and a spectacular Chinese dragon sculpture. They have both been acquired by Arthur Wiener and will go on display soon in the Hot Glass Gallery at WMODA.

Jason came to the museum during the Splash! exhibition preview, and he is very excited that his new work will be included alongside such illustrious company. During his visit, Jason pointed out some of the Macchia and Ikebana designs he worked on with Dale Chihuly and reminisced about his time with Lino Tagliapietra. We look forward to learning more about Jason’s fascinating career now that he is represented at WMODA.

Hear Jason’s interview with Shawn Waggoner on the Talking Out Your Glass podcast.
Jason Christian