Architect and lighting designer Arjun Rathi of Rural Modern Glass Studio recently collaborated with glass sculptor Grant Garmezy from the USA. In an attempt to initiate world glass art in India Arjun has been working on collaborating with world renowned glass blowing artists and this was one of them. 

It involved taking inspiration from Indian heritage, wildlife and culture. At the live workshop at his Rural Modern Glass Studio in Chembur,  Mumbai, we were treated to a live demo of glass blowing as Garmezy twirled, twisted and molded glass to create Ganesha, and elephant head with tuskers, a snake fish and many more 

Grant Garmezy at the Rural Modern Glass Studio, Mumbai

Rathi founded India's first art-glass studio in Chembur, Mumbai- Rural Modern Glass Studio. The studio has been running for the past three years, democratizing glass art here in India and upskilling local Indian artisans in the craft of glass blowing.

Garmezy was in India for two weeks at the invitation of Rathi to help upskill the studio's Indian artisans and work with them to produce Indian heritage in glass art.

Working on the Elephant Head

He also, along with Garmezy, invited glass legends Evan Schauss and Jeremiah Jacobs and their understudy Gage Stephens from Hawaii, USA, to assist Grant in producing his Indian-inspired glass sculptures, making it nothing short of an all-star team in the world of glass blowing.

 Orange Candy Ombre Hand-blown Glass chandelier by Arjun Rathi