Transparent Strength: Glassblowing and the Journey to Mental Wellness
On a narrow street in Los Angeles’ West Adams neighborhood, inside an unassuming gray building, is Kazuki Takizawa’s glassblowing studio, KT Glassworks. Inside the studio, known as a hot shop in glassblowing terms, the temperature is as scorching as the molten glass shaped by Takizawa's hands. Sweat drips from his brow as he manipulates the material, a process that involves constant movement and precision. Surrounded by furnaces and an array of tools—blow hoses, tweezers, and pads made from newspaper—Kazuki works with a sense of focus, turning raw glass into fine art.
The studio itself is alive with the sounds of popping glass and roaring flames, but beneath the heat and noise lies a deeper connection to the material—a connection that transcends mere craftsmanship.
A World Discovered by Chance
Kazuki’s journey into glassblowing started in an unexpected way. Raised in Bangkok, he came across a Japanese television show, TV Champion, where glassblowers competed against one another. Although he knew nothing about glass art at the time, something about it fascinated him. After high school, Kazuki followed this instinct and moved to the United States to study at the University of Hawaii, a school with a renowned glass art program.
“I knew nothing about [glass], but I had this feeling that I wanted to try it,” he recalls. That feeling has driven him through nearly two decades of creating intricate glass pieces, turning what was once an unformed passion into a lifelong career.
The Hands That Shape the Glass
Kazuki’s connection to the material is physical. His hands, weathered by years of working with molten glass, bear the toll of a craft that demands endurance and dexterity. "It moves and reacts to everything you do to it," Kazuki explains, describing how glass is pulled toward the earth the moment it leaves the furnace and must be spun constantly to counter it.
Using tools like blowpipes and tweezers, he shapes the glass while it’s still hot, a physically demanding process that requires not just skill but brute strength. His wrists tire after long hours in the studio, and there’s always a risk of burns if he’s not careful. But when the molten glass has been formed into an intricate piece of art, “the circle is complete,” he says.
The Power of Teamwork
Despite the intensely personal nature of glassblowing, Kazuki emphasizes the importance of teamwork in his work. Glassblowing often requires multiple hands, and in his studio, assistants help blow the pipe or handle the tools needed to manipulate the glass. "Without my team, I can’t do anything," he admits. Larger pieces can take hours and even require breaks, so having a team is essential to maintaining the flow of the work.
Intricate, time-consuming pieces demand attention from multiple angles, both literally and figuratively, and Kazuki ensures his team is an integral part of every creation.
For Kazuki, glassblowing is more than just creating beautiful pieces; it is a therapeutic process, one that has helped him navigate his own mental health challenges. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Kazuki has found that working with glass keeps him grounded. “Every time I’m in the hot shop, I have to calm myself,” he says. The meticulous nature of the work forces him to focus, and the physical demands keep him present in the moment.
More Than Just Art
In fact, much of his work reflects his journey with mental health. One of his most significant series, titled Nails, explores the pressures of fitting into society. In Japanese culture, there’s a saying: "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down." Kazuki’s series takes this concept and flips it on its head, creating sculptures where the "nails" represent people, and those who stand out play a crucial role in supporting the rest.
A Fragile Yet Strong Medium
Glass, like mental health, is a fragile medium. Kazuki’s work often involves creating delicate sculptures that can crack or shatter in an instant. "It’s fragile, but when I put it together it becomes strong," he explains. The balance between fragility and strength is something that deeply resonates with him, both in his art and his personal life.
His installation work, In Between Light and Shadow, uses shards of glass hung from the ceiling, casting intricate shadows as light moves through them. This piece, like many of Kazuki’s works, draws attention to mental health by showing how difficult it can be to see the cracks until light is shone on them.
Art as Expression and Healing
Kazuki’s art has always been a form of expression, a way to communicate when words fall short. Growing up speaking Japanese in international environments like Hong Kong and Bangkok, he often found himself unable to fully communicate with those around him. Art became his way of connecting, of expressing emotions and thoughts that words could not.
It’s no wonder that glassblowing became a form of therapy for him, a way to process and express the complexities of his mental health. He now shares his experiences openly, speaking at schools and events about his bipolar disorder and using his art to raise awareness about mental health. “We are all vessels with emotions,” he says, “you can only hold so much.”
Teaching the Next Generation
Though Kazuki now focuses primarily on his studio, he also teaches glassblowing, offering private lessons and team-building events. Teaching, for him, is not just about passing on technical skills but about sharing the joy and meditative aspects of working with glass. "They think I’m teaching them but actually I’m learning a lot," he says.
Watching others experience the joy of shaping glass for the first time reminds him of the excitement he felt all those years ago.
As an artist, Kazuki is surprisingly unattached to the finished pieces he creates. "I’m more in love with the process than the object itself," he admits. Each piece takes hours—sometimes days—to complete, but once it’s done, he feels ready to let go. For him, the act of creating is what matters most, the tactile sensation of working with his hands, the sweat, and the focus it demands.
Process Over Product
"As soon as it's done you rarely have the chance to even take a photograph—it's already shipped out and in someone’s home," Kazuki reflects. "I’m in love with the process more."
Mental Health and the Art of Living
Ultimately, Kazuki’s work is not just a reflection of his artistic talent but also a testament to his resilience. His sculptures tell the story of someone who has embraced both the beauty and the fragility of life. Through his public speaking and his art, he advocates for removing the stigma around mental health.
"We’re all fragile," he says, "but that doesn’t mean we can’t be strong." And in the heat of his hot shop, with molten glass dripping from the end of his blowpipe, Kazuki Takizawa continues to shape both his art and his life—one careful, delicate step at a time.
For more info, please visit KT Glassworks.