Budapest-born glassblower Renata Jakowleff came to study at the University of Art and Design in Helsinki. That made her bilingual. In Hungary, she thinks in Hungarian, in Finland the voice in her head speaks Finnish. She considers herself a rebel and a restless soul. She revels in the solitude of the craftswoman’s life. Even when studying she worked alone, guided by the material of glass, trying to understand its mesmerising qualities. At first, all liquid materials inspired her, then glass and its dialectic nature won her over gradually. For her, the creative process offers a contrast to modern life: blowing glass is intensive and meditative, interruption is not possible.
Read the full interviewPhoto: © Renata_Jakowleff
Each unit of this wall piece was individually hand blown and assembled by Renata. The composition was conceived as a tribute to feminine beauty in its various forms, with an appreciation of plus size bodies, which are too often overlooked.
Height 160 cm
Width 122 cm
Depth 15 cm
Photo: © Katja Hagelstam
This sculpture was created by assembling several hand blown glass bubbles with varying surface treatments. By contrasting glass, feathers and fur, Renata aimed to create a strong sensory experience. She used two organic materials that evoke luxury and pain in order to reference the pressure experienced by women to conform to feminine beauty ideals.
Height 18 cm
Width 54 cm
Depth 15 cm
Photo: © Stilleben
This sculpture was created by hot sculpting and assembling little units of coloured glass. It was Renata's first assembled work and it led the way for many more big pieces.
Height 44 cm
Width 23 cm
Depth 13 cm
Photo: © Stilleben
With this glass sculpture, Renata aims to question the link between luxury and beauty and to challenge the notion of good taste and other culturally agreed symbols of social status. By the extensive use of gold leaves, she highlights the thin line between refinement and vulgarity.
Height 34 cm
Width 52 cm
Depth 10 cm
Photo: © Stilleben
Each unit of this wall piece was individually hand blown and assembled by Renata. The composition was conceived as a tribute to feminine beauty in its various forms, with an emphasis on plus size bodies. The work is the artist’s first take on the subject of the female body and the pressure on women to conform to feminine beauty standards.
Height 50 cm
Width 60 cm
Depth 13 cm
Michelangelo Foundation
Homo Faber
