ERNEST VITIN
BIOGRAPHY
Ernests Vitins (Ernests VÄ«tiņš, 1984) is a glass artist specializing in monumental sheet glass stacking, aka layered glass technique. Ernest works exclusively with layered glass sculptures, installations, and architectural sculptural ensembles. He has in-depth knowledge gained over more than a decade of experience in the field. His innovative and professional approach offers enduring artwork of the highest quality. Ernest works mainly on public and private glass art commissions for indoor and landscape spaces. His artworks adorn spaces in over 15 countries in Europe, Asia, and North America.
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In 2011 Ernest graduated from the Latvian Academy of Arts, Faculty of Visual Plastic Arts and Glass Art Department, received an EU scholarship for his academic achievements, and defended his bachelor's and master's theses with excellence. In 2014 and 2016, he was nominated for the annual Latvian Academy of Arts alumni award for enriching the Latvian art scene locally and internationally. In 2015 he created the largest contemporary sculptural ensemble of glass art in the Baltics - "In Nature", located in the foyer of the Nature House of the Academic Center of the University of Latvia.
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Since 2004, Ernest has continually been working on commission projects, holding solo exhibitions, as well as being invited to participate in international group exhibitions. With his solo exhibition "Within the Glass Labyrinth", he received the national award "Kilogram of Culture 2019" in the visual arts category. Due to his expertise in layered glass art, he was invited to participate in the annual Scientific Conference of the Art Academy of Latvia 2022, "Synergy of Humanitarian and Natural Sciences In History and Theory of Culture", to give a presentation on practical monumental layered glass art-making.
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More recently, Ernest collaborated with the USA-based not-for-profit organization, the “Memphis Botanical Garden Foundation” (MBG) and the Ikebana Japanese Society. Ernest's team designed, crafted, shipped, and installed the large-size layered glass sculpture “Budding Flowers” (2022) for childhood cancer patients in the Japanese garden “Seijaku En”. This year (2024), Ernest made a public space artwork, "Between the Lines," for a new cancer patient center at Riga East University Hospital and exhibited his first artwork in Dubai. He has recently been invited to join the Latvian Academy of Arts teaching force as a guest lecturer at the Glass Art Department (May 2024) and has become a member of the Latvian Designers Union (July 2024).
“I work with cold, sharp glass sheets, turning them into shimmering sculptures. My passion is for monumental size, aesthetic shape and out-of-the-ordinary glassworking technique. Over the past decade, I have developed my signature style in monumental, layered glass sculpture. My inner engineer is proud of the quality of work I achieve, even in artworks that weigh many tonnes. While I - the artist- am never satiated, always searching for more inspiration, ideas, forms and collaborations.”
- Ernest Vitin
PHILOSOPHY
Each of Ernest's stacked glass artwork is a testament to the versatility and elegance of glass as a medium. Ernest's expertise lies in creating bespoke, handcrafted glass sculptures that are sculpted by light, enhancing interior and exterior spaces and evoking a sense of wonder and awe. While his focus is mainly on large-sized sculptures and installations, from time to time, he takes a challenge to zoom in on more minor details by working with smaller, table-sized pieces as well.
Ernest's artistic process begins with a mind-flow analysis, reflection, and documentation of sketches on the chosen topic. If the artwork is intended for a specific location, he explores the chosen space, considering its design, dimensions, ambient light, and architectural nuances. He creates each layer of glass, accounting for the specific angles and curves that will capture and reflect light most effectively. Further, Ernest's work involves the creation of detailed 3D models, incorporation of the models into architectural plans, organization, and installation of the artwork. He uses interlayer bonding techniques that have been thoroughly tested over long periods of time and are suitable for providing physical durability for each artwork. The layering process is a meticulous dance where precision meets intuition, resulting in sculptures that are not just art objects but immersive experiences.
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"My artisan style is 100% hand-crafted, stacked glass sculptures, design objects and architectural pieces that create transparent depth, distinguished by their coarse edges. The design of the unique textures, reliefs, and roughness of the glass edges achieves the maximization of light reflection, creating an immersive visual journey akin to painting canvas with impressionist-like brush strokes; while slowly retreating step by step, a narrative unfolds in translucent echos, which takes a delicate and graceful form saturated with the brilliance of light."
While rooted in contemporary artistic practices, Ernest's work is also influenced by the timeless allure of natural phenomena. The conversation between light and shadow in nature interplays with glass layers by bringing forth a dynamic, ever-changing spectacle. He seeks to redefine the boundaries of traditional sculpture, creating pieces that are visually stunning and emotionally resonant.
