Glass artist Kari Kuisma and Raija Kuisma visiting Ernest Vitin
We were honoured by a visit from our neighbours and artistic soulmates Kari Kuisma and his wife Raija Kuisma from accross the Baltic Sea - Pori, Finland. Kari himself is a glass artist working in the same cold glassworking technique for nearly 20 years! It was an absolute joy to our glass sculptor Ernest Vitin to be of interest to such an experienced layered glass artist as Kari!
Raija also being an artist herself, working with recycled materials and vivid colours, joined us for the whole journey - from Ernest's current solo-exhibition "WITHIN THE GLASS LABYRINTH" in Riga Art Space, Old Town, to the two newly built science buildings of the University of Latvia, where two of the largest Ernest's works are built into the architecture. Architectural sculptures "In Nature" and layered glass wall "Motus". And, a significant fact for assession of our own management skills - we made it back in time for Raija's meeting with the Culture Department at the Riga City Hall!
"Great visit to the Glass Labyrinth My husband, glass artist Kari Kuisma, and I, visual artist Raija Kuisma, had a fantastic opportunity to visit a Latvian contemporary glass artist Ernests Vītiņš in Riga Art Space. We knew about Ernests Vītiņš`s art before, but to see it actually alive and be inside it, be part of the installation, was a truly superb experience. It was almost surreal to stand inside the labyrinth and see the monumental glass sculptures reflect almost endlessly through the waste glass panels hanging from the ceiling. Since the panels were hanging freely and the sculptures were standing in a stable position, the experience was hilarious! One almost jumped to save the art piece, because of the image of it moving, when actually it was only the reflection on the glass panel that was floating in the air. Kari Kuisma has used the same technique of cutting glass with diamond edged glass cutter by hand for almost twenty years, so it was a huge point of interest for him to see a young Latvian artist´s development towards great big monumental size glass pieces. We also went to the two university buildings and could see the endless possibilities of using glass art in a creative way to make our mundane surroundings and environment both visually beautiful and serve the purpose of hiding and revealing. We thank the artist warmly for this great experience and wish that many more people would have a possibility to feel this fantastic Glass Labyrinth!"
– artists Kari Kuisma and Raija Kuisma, Pori, Finland
