Artists selected for the 2009 BIGG: Breakthrough Ideas in Global Glass are:

Artist Statement
My current work is about my life, important events and special moments of happiness I have experienced. By having a dialogue with my emotions and expressing my pleasure, I can reflect upon my relationship with my family and friends, and look back upon my history and myself. I try to retain memories and express the emotions I feel at the time I receive precious things such as letters, pictures and small objects. These memories and objects of mine are protected and kept secretly and importantly in containers. I can look into these objects and be reminded of my childhood experiences and travels. I feel comforted by making artwork that is related to my family. Moreover, this process helps me adjust to my life here in the United States. It is important to me to attach special meaning to even ordinary things which I see everyday.

Having different sense-making abilities, I can find fascinating objects that have great details, colors, and shapes in both humans and nature. This relationship with the natural beauty of these objects helps me to feel happiness and emotional serenity; I may keep those in a jewel box. Moreover, when I take these objects in my hand and hold them, they take me back to places and moments in my past as far as back as I can remember, giving me the remembrance of a pleasurable time. I also feel more intimacy with the nature and commonplace of objects that are related to my personal experiences, such as travel, memories, and my everyday life because I can conserve them in my special home and time.

Through my art works I hope to communicate with the others. The viewers have their own personal memories and experiences, and I hope my pieces to cause nostalgia in the viewer for what they have seen and experienced in their own lives.

Biography
She received the B.F.A. in Glass with honors from Joshibi University of Art and Design in Kanagawa, Japan in 1998. She also graduated from the Masters of Fine Arts program at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in 2005. She received scholarships to attend Bild-Werk, Pilchuck Glass School, Corning Museum of Glass, Pittsburgh Glass Center, and Penland School of Crafts where she met many artists, who strengthened her ideas and works. She also received scholarships to attend Glass Art Society conference at Holland in 2002 and at Australia in 2005. She had shown her art work at the International Exposition of Sculpture Objects & Functional Art (SOFA), and received the Vetro Magazine award as a best debut artist in 2001. She was awarded first place at the international student exhibition of GAS conference in Adelaide, Australia in 2005. She exhibits her art internationally at many galleries through Japan and USA. She specializes in glass kiln forming, a method of kiln firing that uses color glass cullett and fusing, slumping, and cold working methods.

After she came to United States she started to realize the importance of her family. She uses her art to save these memories of her family and express these emotions with her Glass. She had been an instructor at the Talisman Glass Studio, Jacksonville University, and many others. She presented the lectures as a Japanese glass artist at The Corning Museum of Glass and Creative Glass Center of America. She recently finished Artist-in-Residence program at The Corning Museum of Glass, Pilchuck Glass School, Worcester Center for Crafts, and visiting artist fellowship from UrbanGlass. Currently she is working as an adjunct professor and residency artist at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Resume
Education
2005    Master of Fine Arts (MFA): School for American Crafts, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
1998    Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) with Best Honors: Joshibi University of Art and Design, Kanagawa, JAPAN

Professional Experiences
2008-2009         Adjunct Professor and Studio Resident Artist. Undergraduate Glass Courses and Glass Elective Classes, Rochester Institute of Technology Graduate Assistant, Visiting Artists. Undergraduate Glass Course and Pâte de Verre Workshop, Rochester Institute of Technology
2008        Visiting Artist and Instructor. Molds, Glass Kilncasting and Pâte de Verre Workshop, Craft Alliance
2006    Adjunct Professor. Accelerated Degree Program, Glass Art: Casting class, Jacksonville University

Residencies
2008-2009    Rochester Institute of Technology. Rochester, NY.
2008         UrbanGlass “Visiting Artist Fellowships: Emerging Artists”. Brooklyn, NY.
2006-2007         Worcester Center for Crafts “Resident Artist Program”. Worcester, MA.
2006         Pilchuck Glass School “Emerging Artist in Residence: EAiR Program”. Seattle, WA.
    The Corning Museum of Glass “Artist-in-Residence Program”. Corning, NY.

Selected Exhibitions
2009         Short Stories: Narratives from the Kiln. Selected as curator's choice. Columbia Art League, Columbia, MO.
2008    Talk to Me: The Voice of Kiln-Formed Glass. Craft Alliance, St. Louis, MO.
2007    The 17th Year of EAiR Exhibition. Friesen Gallery. Seattle, WA.
    Nebraska’s Glass Artists Exhibition. Museum of Nebraska Art. Kearney, NE.
    Celebrating Connections: Contemporary Glass by Mid Atlantic Artists. Wheaton Arts. Millville, NJ.
    UrbanGlass 2007 MFA Exhibition. UrbanGlass, Robert Lehman Gallery. Brooklyn, NY.
2006    Recollection. Dyer Arts Center at NTID, Rochester Institute of Technology. Rochester, NY.
2005    Winter Games. Bullseye Connection Gallery. Portland, OR.
    Particle Theories: International Pâte de Verre and Other Cast Glass Granulations. Wheaton Arts. Millville, NJ.
2002    SOFA CHICAGO 2002. Represented by the Morgan Contemporary Glass Gallery. Chicago, IL.
2001    SOFA CHICAGO 2001. Represented by the Morgan Contemporary Glass Gallery. Chicago, IL.
2000    SOFA CHICAGO 2000. Represented by the Morgan Contemporary Glass Gallery. Chicago, IL.

Collections
Museum of Nebraska Art. Kearney, NE. / Rochester Institute of Technology. Rochester, NY.
Bullseye Glass Company. Portland, OR. / Union Bank & Trust Company. Omaha, NE.

Awards and Honors
2007-2008    Visiting Artist Fellowship. UrbanGlass. Brooklyn, NY.
2007 and 2009    Niche Student Award 2007 Winner, Niche Award 2009 Finalist, The Rosen Group. Baltimore, MD.
2007    Purchase Prize. Rochester Institute of Technology, Wallace Library. Rochester, NY.
2005    First Place. International Student Exhibition in GAS Conference. Adelaide, Australia.
2004 and 2005         Full Scholarship to attend Corning Museum of Glass. Corning, NY.
2002 and 2005         Sano Takako and General Scholarship to attend GAS Conference. Amsterdam and Adelaide.
2001    Vetro Magazine Awards, Best Debut Artist. SOFA 2001. Chicago, IL.

Selected Publications
2007    “AmericanStyle Magazine, Emerging Artists 2007”. Issue August 2007. The Rosen Group. Baltimore, MD.
2005    “American Craft Magazine, Particular Particles: International Pâte de Verre”. Issue Oct/Nov 2005. New York, NY.
2002    “New Glass Review 23”. The Corning Museum of Glass. Corning, NY
2001    “Vetro, The Urban Aesthetic of Erika Tada ”. vol 14. William Warmus, Centro Studio Vetro. Murano, Italy.

Return to BIGG main page