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OCTAVIA’S HAZE GALLERY OF GLASS AND FINE ART: By Sky Alsgaard, Gallery Director Upon walking into Octavia’s Haze Gallery of Glass and Fine Art, located in the heart of San Francisco, one is immediately mesmerized by the brilliance of the light playing off the glass. With two walls of windows facing south and west, the gallery can be quite dazzling on a sunny afternoon. The space is full of different styles of glass from all over the world, specializing in glass from Seattle, Italy, and San Francisco. Along with beautiful handblown art pieces, one can also find fine art from emerging Bay Area artists. For a good price, a person can find a piece of art for their wall and a vase to set in front of it, all the while enjoying the quiet beauty of Octavia’s Haze Gallery. Owner Eric Melampy opened Octavia’s Haze Gallery on Valentines Day in 1999, after leaving his job as a stockbroker. Eric’s family lives outside of Seattle, a hotbed for glass in the United States. He wanted to bring the exciting atmosphere of the northwestern glass scene to the Bay Area. His goal was to provide a hip, reputable place to buy quality glass. The front of the gallery is dedicated to the work of glassblowers from Seattle and the Bay Area. Toward the back of the gallery one
can find the extraordinar Tsuchidas’ history is as interesting as his glass. Born and raised in Osaka, Japan, he knew he wanted to be an artist from a very young age. As a young adult, he was trained as a sommelier and a professional chef. He then spent many years traveling through Europe, creating art. While in London he met Annarita Schiavon, who would later become his wife. Annarita’s family comes from a long line of Venetian glass masters. She brought Tsuchida back to Italy to learn the family trade and meet her father, fourth generation glassblower Franco Schiavon. After marrying, Tsuchida set about learning glassblowing from the glass masters of Murano. It took many years but he is now one of the most promising young artists working in Murano. Adapting the techniques of those masters, Tsuchida is forging a unique and personal style, combining a strong eastern sense of beauty with a contemporary, urban edge. Eric Melampy met Tsuchy by chance during a buying trip to Italy in the fall of 1999. Eric was meandering through the various glass shops when he entered the beautiful Franco Schiavon Gallery. The sales person asked him which piece he would take if he could have any one of them. After looking over all of the glass, he undoubtedly pointed to Tsuchida’s work. The sales person smiled and asked if Eric would like to meet the artist, who happened to be working in the back. That was the beginning of a close friendship and the migration of Tsuchida Yasuhiko’s works to the West Coast of the United States. Tsuchidas work instantly mesmerizes people. It combines many colors, styles, and techniques. Sometimes it does not resemble glass at all, but rather ceramics, porcelain, wood, or his signature look–bamboo. Created with his own secret recipe, the bamboo glass has helped his work secure a distinct style. In the tradition of many Venetian glassblowers, Tsuchida utilizes several cold-working techniques, such as sandpapering and grinding, to give each piece it’s final personality. His total grasp of techniques combined with a powerful use of color, gives each work its own unique personality, making it easy to recognize and appreciate the astounding work of Tsuchida Yasuhiko. Octavia’s Haze Gallery has been open for three years and is a unique mainstay for glass
enthusiasts from the Bay Area and all over the world. Featuring many talented artists, |
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Octavia’s Haze Gallery |
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y work of international glass artist, Tsuchida Yasuhiko.