Jeff Goodman Studio creates one-of-a-kind architectural and decorative glass products; qualities such as fluid, organic, colourful and beautifully shaped are the hallmark of this studio.
Abacus
Jeff Goodman (1961-2012) one of Canada’s most significant glass artists, founded his award-winning studio in 1989. Since his death in 2012, the studio is led by Creative and Executive Director Sylvia Lee and a team of creative professionals who continue to break new ground in the field.
The Jeff Goodman Studio based in Toronto, Canada is involved in modern glass design and fabrication. The studio produces handmade installations, lighting, vessels and architectural glass for luxury projects worldwide.
Lima
The studio has some remarkable and jaw-dropping projects in its portfolio. Most recently, the ‘Abacus’ modular screen launched in January 2017 is receiving a fair bit of interest for its colourful and innovative design. The beads on this oversized Abacus-inspired screen are made from coloured glass and can be customised to any colour and combination. Like the traditional counting tool, this version has a wooden frame and little metal rods on which the glass beads rest and can be moved up and down to create a bespoke pattern. The screen can be used as a decorative tool or as a partition or room divider.
Maple Leaf Lounge
Talking about jaw-dropping work, the Jeff Goodman Studio had a significant part to play in the poetic Bahá’í Temple of Santiago, Chile in South America. The “nine monumental glass veils” make up the unusual walls and lead into an open worship space that can accommodate up to 600 visitors. The petals converge into a central oculus where light pours in through the glass and creates a magical,peaceful experience.
The 32mm-thick borosilicate glass panels were handmade in Toronto, cut in Toronto and Germany, shaped, polished and then shipped to Chile where they were assembled onto the structure. The thick, milky-white translucent glass has a luminous quality that is perfect for the temple. It can also be used for other applications like wall dividers and table tops.
Ovelle
The Studio’s designs for everyday items are also pretty stunning. The Leaf Bowl, for example, is made of single rods of glass fused together and melted into the final shape. The frosted finish compliments the glass with a soft glow.
The Lima is the Studio’s tallest hand blown glass vase. Every piece is individual and one-of-a-kind. The curved silhouette has a frosted finish which gives a certain luminescence to the glass. The cluster of 15 large scale Lima vases ranging from 38” to 52” high were commissioned for the new Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge in Frankfurt, Germany make for a remarkable and intriguing display.
Veer
The Studio has several other standout vases. The Ovelle’s organic shape reminds one of fabric moving in the wind, an effect created during the blowing process when the still molten glass is inflated and stretched.
Similarly, the Veer is also a slim, elegant and curvilinear vase that has a coloured ‘middle’ set against frosted glass outside. This hand-made jewel is also available in over 20 colours.
Sagoma
The Sagoma series has rounded forms with the studio’s trademark etched surface. Sagoma is the Italian word for outline and profile and the studio wanted to explore this facet in glass.
The eye-catching Topography wall installation is made of hand-blown, one-of-a-kind organic bowl forms. Each of these can be put together in an endless combination to create a fascinating display. The shiny interior of the bowl is juxtaposed perfectly against the frosted exterior to emphasise the shape of the bowl.
Topography
The Scribe collection has vases, bowls and ovoids with drawings etched onto their surfaces while the Bioa vase has a cylindrical shape with driftwood-inspired texture. Their hand-blown glass tumblers with etched lace detail are exquisite as well.
Enzo Chandelier for the Ritz Toronto Spa
The Jeff Goodman Studio also does customised installations for clients like the vases for the aforementioned Maple Leaf Lounge and the large Enzo Chandelier for the Ritz Toronto Spa. The latter has 259 neutral-coloured, hand-blown glass discs suspended below a skylight. The overall size of the installation is 2.75m x 12m. Other installations include sculptures for the Royal Ontario Museum and murals and glass walls for various hotels and private clients.
Cascade
The late Jeff Goodman’s intention was to “push the boundaries of how glass showed up in architecture, art and vernacular life”. His obituary reveals that “His studio family was a hive of purpose and creativity, supported implicitly by his core team.” As you can see, his vision is serendipitously shared by the existing members of the Studio who continue to conjure up beautiful objects that are all of luminescent, creative and enduring.
Text By Chryselle D’Silva Dias
Photographs Courtesy The Designer
Contact
Web: www.jeffgoodmanstudio.com
