Granite Calimpong

As the son of a potter in Northern California, Granite’s hands were covered in clay long before discovering glass. He graduated with a degree in Interdisciplinary Computing in the Arts from the University of California, San Diego, where he was first introduced to glass. The draw to the material and process was immediate. Growing up in a household full of handmade objects fostered a lifelong connection to the subtleties of function and form through the scrutiny of everyday use. It continues to influence his practice as a glassmaker. His glass sculptures are minimalist and inventive, with strong features and playful shapes that are often reminiscent of ceramics. He also makes goblets and glasses, which are classical in inspiration, but modern, too, in their restraint.

Granite lives and works in Seattle, where he works with a variety of artists in the hot shop, including Nancy Callan, Benjamin Moore, Ethan Stern, John Kiley, Janusz Pozniak, and James Mongrain. Read more about Granite Calimpong in American Craft.