Jason Christian
Artist Statement
“I have the same passion for glass now that I had the first time I stepped in front of a glory hole—probably even more. I have an endless curiosity for this medium that drives me crazy. It is what it is: It’s glass, it breaks. It’s molten, it moves. I love it. That’s what keeps me going. The common thread to my work is the technicality of it—pushing the limits. I like a challenge. I want to see the thing I set out to make and say, ‘Wow, I’m OK with this.’ But never will I be totally satisfied.”
Bio
Jason Christian grew up in Coupeville, a small town situated on Whidbey Island in the heart of the Puget Sound region of western Washington State. Jason’s mother was a nurse; his father, a metal fabricator. As an adolescent, he thought that he too would find a place in the blue-collar world. He worked construction and odd jobs. He drove delivery trucks. However, there was something inside driving him towards a more creative vocation. His mother told him, “You should really go check out this glass studio downtown. I read about it in a magazine.” He went and saw a master glassblower turn a molten blob into a flower and was hooked. This was during the late 1990s and the Northwest glass scene was in full swing. Dale Chihuly was hanging chandeliers in Venice. Italian masters were moving to Seattle. There was plentiful work to be had, along with the strong sense of community that Jason had always wanted. He dove in, and there he flourished.
Jason is an integral member of Dale Chihuly's boathouse team, collaborating with international artists, including the late Pino Signoretto. He has worked with many well-known glass artists, including Lino Tagliapietra, Martin Blank, Preston Singletary, James Mongrain, and Nancy Callan. Jason also has taught at Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, WA, at Urban Glass in New York City, and at the University of Texas Arlington.
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