The science, philosophy and poetry of glass

If design is the unrestrained improvisation of imagination and inventiveness, the process of creation is, however, exact science.

Juliette Leperlier may not be a scientist, but her pate de verre designs require scientific know-how.

In glass art, elemental reactions and oxidation rates are all factors that affect the final product. Physics is needed to understand the durability of a plaster mold, and whether or not it can withstand the heat of kiln. Algebra is used to calculate weight ratios between glass and plaster. Geometry determines how the shape of the inner mold affects the flow of molten glass

Leperlier’s solo Shanghai exhibition, “Raging Fire, Icy Heart: The Glass Exploration Burns Eternal Poetry in Glass,” is currently on display at Liuli China Art Museum, and reflects the artist’s philosophical ruminations and poetic compositions in glass.

The exhibition also includes two antique pieces from her father and uncle, and her grandfather’s works in the 19th century.

French pate de verre

In fact, Leperlier, now 34, comes from a century-old family of glass artists, she is the new face of pate de verre and the sole female artist from the Leperlier-Decorchemont family.

Francois Decorchemont (1880-1971) was the founder of French pate de verre, one of the oldest forms of glass working technique to mix crushed glass with enamels or paint to form a paste that was carefully placed in a mold and then fire.

A close friend to Claude Monet, Decorchemont was strongly influenced by the utilization of light and color in impressionism and pondered how to recreate a painterly effect in glass.

As a child, the family studio was her playground and she kept company with kilns and naturally fell into the role of assistant. As she grew into her own, Juliette rebelled against family tradition and struggled against the inevitable path of pate de verre.

During her studies at La Sorbonne, the top university in Paris, she had the chance to work hands on with many different artistic mediums. Seemingly she took the opportunity to escape her childhood environment of pate de verre and to experiment with other forms of sculptural art. However, as her studies intersected with glass works, she found herself increasingly drawn to this malleable substance.

“I eventually succumbed to the ‘virus’ that has long been embedded in my DNA despite my consistent efforts to transcend the familial legacy of pate de verre,” she said.

When her father, Etienne Leperlier, passed away in 2014, she found herself with the deeds to her father’s studio and imminent deadlines to fulfil.

She draws her inspiration from Bach, ballet, the origins of the universe and mathematical proofs. Integrating theoretical physics and abstract modern art, her artworks invites viewers to question the individual approach to liberalism and sensibility.

“My work aims to capture shape, movement and fluidity,” she said.

With clean lines and captivating colors, inspiring planes and entrancing forms, about 35 pieces have been selected to exude the artist’s passion for light and rhythm.

In the “Echinoida” series, she inserts nails into an urchin-like form prior to firing. The result is a fusion of two seemingly incongruous materials. Each piece in the series is a study in light, it layers and presents the challenge of the merging two disparate mediums.

The Chinese concept of qi (energy flow) resonates deeply within her as it indicates a sort of force, energy and free flow. Take her work “Effusion” for example and the way the three spirals come together effortlessly and simply. It is her favorite pieces in the exhibition.

“It represents an evolution, a cycle, it is both at the end and a continuation,” she said. “I also like it for its colors. The color gradience shifts from transparent to an almost impenetrable blue: this display of color represents the mark left by time and the flow of glass. It also represents a relationship between two people — from casual to knowing, from shallow to deep, from weak to strong.”

According to the artist, this is the piece that most represents her in this moment of life.

Date: Through March 31, 2019, 10am-5pm

Venue: Liuli China Art Museum

Address: 25 Taikang Rd