Hot Glass Fiji

Glass is the ideal medium to catch the stunning light and colours of the tropics, and so of course the beauty of Fiji’s nature is often reflected in Alice's work.

At the same time Fiji’s tradition and culture also feature strongly – local maqimaqi ropes, used for many purposes in Fiji, though perhaps most often seen woven around wooden beams and posts in traditional bures; tapa designs, coconut bark are not only inspirational but also become a part of the work.

Glass is a liquid. Even the glass in your window panes is moving – infinitely slowly, but moving all the same . Heat glass up till it is red gold and glowing, and the liquid will flow. Shape it, and when it cools and settles it will remain in that shape; but always, it remains a liquid in perpetual slow motion.

The core challenge of glassblowing is that the artist has to work with the heated medium as a moving, flowing liquid. They have a limited time to work and shape it whilst it remains hot enough, yet at the same time this liquid must be kept in constant motion to make sure it does not flow or fall.

With these constraints, glass blowing becomes not only a craft, but an amazing visual experience. It becomes a dance as the molten glass is kept perpetually moving, twirling, twisting and spinning, whilst all the while the glassblower works on the creation, shaping, colouring and cutting the bubble of glowing liquid as the piece comes into being.

Visitors are welcome at the Hot Glass Fiji Studio, where you can find out more about glass blowing by watching Alice and her assistants in action. You can even give it a go and take home some unique glass hand made by yourselves, under the guidance of Alice in a Glass Blowing Experience.

Glass blowing is a unique visual experience as the team gather, shape and colour the golden molten glass in a fluid process that is almost dance like in its constant movement.