Joel Meyers, aka Jolex, is one of Seattle’s preeminent functional glass artists. On the scene since 1999, he has earned a reputation as a constant innovator, with a hand for crafting strikingly realistic scenes of space.
Jolex fell in love with the art of glassblowing in Greenfield Village in Detroit at age seven and knew that he would one day wield an impressive torch of his own. He describes his spacey style as “nebulaic,” an effect achieved by using float copper, a metal found in glacial deposits unique to Michigan. Aside from the special copper fuming, his works include gold and silver fuming as well, giving each rig an iridescent sheen.
Many pieces have bright solar systems complete with planets in orbit, comets, and a vivid array of stars. He says his influences began early on, “As a kid I had maps of galaxies, telescopes, the glow-in-the-dark stars stuck to the ceiling above my bed—I’ve always been drawn to outer space.” He has come a long way from the wigwag pipes and bubblers that he started out making over a decade ago, with his signature style turning the heads of collectors around the world.
Find the captivating work of Jolex at Piece of Mind, along with the amazing collaborative piece, Moon Boots 2.0, currently retailing at $5000. When he’s not creating otherworldly art, Jolex digs snowboarding and wine—though not at the same time.
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