In her exhibition (October 16 – December 1) we showcased a recent body of glass works; she has been recreating ancient Jōmon vessels and figurines, casting them with uranium glass. Her tangential series of blown uranium glass orbs and her new series of pyrographs with watercolor round out the exhibition.  We find this series to be very compelling - she was so emotionally affected by the nuclear disaster at Fukushima and subsequently her examination of the nuclear clean-up at the Hanford site that she is now exploring cultural legacy as told through the Jōmon pottery which she is recreates using uranium glass.

 

Etsuko Ichikawa is an artist that we have been following for about 12 years and have been working with for roughly 6 years now. She was a glass blower in Tokyo before moving to Seattle back in 1993 to study glass techniques with Dale Chihuly at Pilchuck.  She wound up staying there in Seattle and working with Chihuly for 10 years before going on her own to focus on her personal practice.

 

Etsuko Ichikawa has gained international recognition for her pyrographs. In a process akin to big brush calligraphy, she draws on the surface of the paper with molten glass – when the hot glass is pulled away, it leaves gestural scorch marks on the paper.  We have shown this body of work and placed the work in collections around the world.