A selection of Ernest Vitin's layered glass artwork

Feb 20, 2019

2 min read

Updated: Feb 12, 2024

Ernest Vitin is a young, purposeful glass artist.

He is working exclusively with float glass: cold-working it into powerful, monumental and architectural layered glass art pieces www.ernestvitin.com and sculptural glass memorials www.glasstone.eu.

Embracing the layered, also called- stacked glass technique, he is the author of the largest, entirely handmade, over 22 tons heavy layered glass architectural sculpture in the Baltics- “In Nature” (2015). The hand treatment of “In Nature” spans over 20 km or 12.5 miles. It is located in the main foyer of the newly built, multi award-winning, modern Academic Centre for Natural Sciences of the University of Latvia. T

he aesthetic value is evidenced not only by the excellent responsiveness of the onlookers of Ernest Vitin's glass artwork, but also by the fact that Ernest Vitin received the annual National award 2019 KG Culture in the category of Visual Art for his solo exhibition "WITHIN THE GLASS LABYRINTH" and was nominated for the prestigous 2019 Purvītis Award. Ernest Vitin has also been nominated for several other arts and design awards, such as the Design Award of the Latvian Designers Association 2017; twice, in 2014 and 2016, Ernest Vitin has been nominated for the prestigious Art Academy of Latvia award for a significant contribution enriching and strengthening culture locally and internationally; and he has participated in international exhibitions and projects in Malta, England and Finland.

On the 28th of January, 2019 University of Latvia opened the doors to the new Science Centre in Riga. This became the new home for medical and life sciences. We are proud to have another monumental hand-made layered glass artwork - a glass wall "Motus".

However, the latest and most extensive reflection of Ernest's talent can be seen in the fulfilment of a sacred interior. Entering the new chapel of the Barbele School "Roots and Wings" (2019), one feels an unmatched airiness and upliftment. Ernest helped to realize Priest Medins' vision of a place of worship, bringing the necessary harmony to the interior - from colours to material and use of the space. The chapel contains a harmonious collection of traditional sacred attributes - altar, pulpit containing pure gold dust, tabernacle, water-bowl, shelf and, very soon, the windows, created in layered (aka stacked) glass technique.

We shall soon share more visuals and information on the new work of glass artist Ernest Vitin!