Eric Cruze

Luminous Project

materials funded: glass, aluminum, LED lights, drills

In my work, I am passionate about exploring the beauty of glass through experimentation and technique. My goal is to combine a high level of traditional craftsmanship with a modern design sensibility—a fusion of materiality and simplicity. 

One of the processes that has inspired me is fused murrini and filigrana, Italian terms for glass canes that are handmade from the furnace. When these clear and colored glass canes are melted together in the kiln, the resulting fusing reveals the flow of material at high temperature, and forms a unique, three-dimensional surface. Not an image of nature, but an authentic organic object.

With the Luminous Project, I had the opportunity to create lighting prototypes that incorporated LED technology with handmade fused glass panels. The project evolved over time, as the Covid pandemic had a deep impact on my working and living circumstances.

About the artist

I studied architecture and worked as an architect for several years before discovering glassmaking. My glass training was with Curtiss Brock at the Appalachian Center for Crafts and Frantisek Janak at Střední uměleckoprůmyslová škola sklářská (SUPSS) in the Czech Republic.

While in the Czech Republic, I met my wife and studio partner Tomo Sakai. We spent a few months visiting and working with Czech and Italian glass studios. In 2007, we got the opportunity to establish and run a glass school in Gifu, Japan for 1 year. After that experience, we moved to Massachusetts to become Artists-in-Residence at the Worcester Center for Crafts.

We established Cruze + Sakai Studio in 2014, focusing on the design and creation of glass tableware, installations, and public art.

@cruzesakai

cruzesakai.com