GLASS BLOWING MASTERCLASS WITH EKIN AYTAC & JOSH DAVIDS
FRIDAY - TUESDAY, MARCH 6 - 10
Classes have a maximum of 6 students and a minimum of 4 students
* Requirements: Glass 2 or equivalent
Aytac Davids Collective: Ekin Deniz Aytac and Joshua Davids
Bio
The Aytac Davids Collective is the artistic partnership of husband and wife Ekin Deniz Aytac and Joshua Davids, a dynamic duo whose work fuses disparate cultural and geographical influences into new forms of glass art. Hailing from Edremit, Turkey, and Colorado, USA, respectively, they draw from a unique combination of heritage and experience, creating and traveling the world together since 2014.
Roots and Collaboration
Ekin’s journey into glass began in Istanbul, Turkey, followed by specialized studies in the Czech Republic before completing a graduate program at West Texas A&M University. Josh discovered the material at the same university while pursuing his master’s degree in fine arts.
Both were immediately drawn to glass for its physical and collaborative nature, appreciating the material’s unparalleled capacity to interact with and transform light and space. This shared passion cemented their artistic and personal partnership.
Stewardship and Independent Practice
In 2015, the couple relocated to Kalamazoo, Michigan, to manage Glass Art Kalamazoo, a non-profit public access studio. This period was crucial for refining their skills; as teachers, managers, and demonstrators, they honed their mastery in the hot shop while cultivating a strong commitment to arts education and community engagement.
Since establishing their independent studio practice in 2020, the Aytac Davids Collective has focused on creating sophisticated, multi-layered objects that explore color, depth, and precision.
Their collaborative process is defined by a meticulous balance between the additive heat of the furnace and the subtractive precision of cold-working.
Their evocative work has been recognized globally and is exhibited in internationally renowned galleries, museums, and private collections around the world, solidifying their reputation as innovators in contemporary glass art.
The Cityscape Body of Work
The Aytac Davids Collective is fueled by a unique synthesis of global travel, divergent cultural heritage, and shared experience. This dynamic intersection informs their practice, enabling them to elicit profound expression through the medium of glass. Their work is a testament to the powerful, often complex, relationships between place, memory, and identity.
The Cityscape series is a core sculptural exploration that offers reflections on the nature of self as it relates to the places and structures that shape our experience. In this body of work, traditional vessel forms are conceptually manipulated and transformed into unconventional objects that evoke abstracted, dynamic landscapes viewed from a unique perspective—often resembling aerial or distant urban panoramas.
Our formal approach integrates a meticulous balance between construction and deconstruction:
● Additive Process: We begin with complex hot glass applications, utilizing layered color techniques to build and encapsulate visual rhythms and patterns.
● Subtractive Process: The final forms are then subjected to rigorous cold-working, where precision diamond cutting and sand engraving coalesce to dissect the layers, revealing the intricate internal world of the glass.
This technical dialogue between building and dismantling the glass object represents the constant tension between permanence and change in the world we inhabit. Our shared interests in light, color, pattern, nature, and narrative guide every formal element as we build layers and strategically deconstruct the bubble.
Storytellers in Glass
Ultimately, we view ourselves as storytellers with a devotion to glass and light. Each layer of detail—each stripe of color, cut line, and carved recess—relays a sliver of information that speaks not only to our personal associations and history but also serves as a crucial foothold for the viewer. By embedding these visual narratives, we invite the observer to enter the object’s complexity, allowing them to make their own profound connections and find personal meaning that resonates with their lived experience.
As artists we see ourselves as story tellers, and each layer of detail relays a sliver of information not only relating our personal associations but also providing a foothold for the viewer to make their own connections and find meaning as it resonates with them.