Swirling colours on different kinds of glasses welcome us, as we walk into the Glass Sutra Studio, India’s first glass art studio. Reshmi Dey, the founder of the studio is currently busy making sure all the glass art pieces are ready for her upcoming workshop where along with renowned glass blower Brent Sheehan from California, she will walk you through a series of ways to work with glass.
Born and raised in Assam, Dey started her journey in glass art when it wasn’t even considered an art, thus lacking any defined manner in which one could learn. “It was more of industrial work done by local artisans based out of Firozabad — the glass capital of India. However, it was my growing love for glass, the translucent nature and the way light passes through, creating dramatic effects that aroused my curiosity,” shares Dey, who ventured into a male-dominated industry where it was next to impossible to find a woman working. However, one day she decided to hop onto a train to Firozabad and there was no looking back.
With a diploma in glass art from International Glass Centre in Dudley, UK, the 45-year-old felt the urgency to create a space where the art of glass making can be learned. Soon, her studio was born. “After I came back to India, I realised that my journey won’t be easy as we lacked the basic facilities of having a studio for artists to work in. So, I continued working from Firozabad, teaching artists and together creating art,” she shares.
Prior to finding her calling, Dey tried her hands on various ventures — from graduating in Economics and Math from Cotton College in Guwahati to sitting for various papers in Public Relations to advertising, once she came to Delhi in 1995 to find a career. If she had not found her love for glass art, she believes she would be pursuing something else but in the creative field.
With their expertise in solid and blown sculpting (studio glass) and torch work detail, Sheehan along with Dey will have a three-day session for the beginners in hot-glass blowing and flame work.
The workshop will start from December 1 to 13. To register, mail to glasssutrateam@gmail.com.