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©M.Windal
©M.Windal
© jerome Ruffin
©M.Windal
©Nicolas Laty

Nicolas Laty

  • Glassblower
  • Biot, France
  • Master Artisan
Nicolas Laty Glassblower
Contact
French, English
Hours:
By appointment only
©M.Windal

Naive glass cartoons

  • • Nicolas’ sculptures prompt memories of childhood
  • • He is president of SoBig association, which promotes glass craft
  • • He teaches seminars at the European Centre for Glass (CERFAV)

Nicolas Laty is a master glass sculptor based in Biot, a village on the French Riviera renowned for its glass tradition. His approach to the craft was greatly influenced by the meeting with his master, artist Jean Claude Novaro. Nicolas specialises in hot sculpting, working with solid glass. Through the mastery of his gesture, he gives shape to figurative and playful characters who have great expressiveness. As Nicolas states, “with this bestiary of a deliberately naive naturalism, I wish to raise in the viewer the memory of the relationships they had with animal encounters in the past.” Along with bright colours, Nicolas' work explores the notion of textures, combining glass with other materials such as silicone, minerals or wood.

Read the full interview

Works

  • ©Nicolas Laty
  • ©Nicolas Laty
  • ©Nicolas Laty
  • ©Nicolas Laty
  • ©Nicolas Laty
Photo: ©Nicolas Laty
Baby Dino

This blown glass sculpture features a red baby dinosaur emerging from its green egg. Several stages were involved in its creation: the egg was blown and cold chiselled. It was then reheated during the making of the dinosaur. The whole piece was assembled while hot.

Photo: ©Nicolas Laty
Wave Fish

Figurative and playful, this blown glass sculpture presents a fish of a dense blue colour, with round eyes and a bright red mouth. Three main steps were involved in its creation. The body of the fish was blown using a 'ballotte', and cold cut with a wheel. The piece was then reheated to be finished with solid glass.

Photo: ©Nicolas Laty
Escargot Bleu

Made of blown glass, this sculpture represents a snail. Round-eyed and with a small red mouth, its expression reminds us of a cartoon character. The shell was blown in a blue colour, while the rest of his body is made of solid transparent glass and frosted by sandblasting.

Photo: ©Nicolas Laty
Three Little Birds

This sculpture features three small birds made of transparent blown glass, whose expressions recall cartoon characters. They are placed on the back of a hybrid dog made from a recycled light bulb.

Photo: ©Nicolas Laty
F1 Leclerc

This sculpture features a green bird with a helmet, piloting a red Formula 1 car. The number 16 was made by sandblasting. Reminiscent of a cartoon character, it is made of blown and solid glass. The whole piece was assembled while hot.

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