Explorations

Ismail Plumber

Ismail Plumber is a self-taught, passionate glass artist.  Hailing from a glass-merchant family, he was brought up in a “glassy” environment.  Various interactions with business associates, architects and interior designers helped him to nurture and enhance his creativity.

At a very early age, he chose the path of creativity, rather than joining the lucrative family business. He began kiln-casting and developed a technique whereby thick glass-casting slabs were created with fused flame-work and casting inclusions.  This technique was further polished by creating three dimensional cast pieces.

In 2004, he had the opportunity to study glass-blowing techniques under the Czech master, Jiri Suhajek, at The Glass Furnace in Istanbul. He further honed his skills in Firozabad, the glass capital of India.

His latest experiments, casting blown pieces within slab casting, have added a new dimension to this art form, thus bringing out undiscovered beauty and form.

A quintessential alchemist, he skilfully uses the fluid nature of glass, along with its unique properties of refraction and transparency, to raise this medium to a higher pedestal.

Ismail uses glass, just as a painter uses a canvas, thus creating a truly fascinating art form.