Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jorge Gallo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Jorge, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

Glassblowing was the first medium that broke me artistically. My experience with drawing, painting, photography, and printmaking all came naturally but glassblowing forced me to be humble- learning from mistakes and engrain discipline to push forward. Various shopmates and mentors guided me on a language filled with flame control, viscosity, and form. It’s a medium that demands full focus which in itself is meditation.

Jorge, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I knew that if I wanted to make any profit/trade artistically it needed to be functional. I gravitated to glass because of its various networks you can provide for – jewelry, pipes, decorative sculptures, garden purposes, chalices and originally scientific production. 12 years later I still am fascinated on the expansion of possibilities of products I can challenge myself with. Currently I am working on hollow female form – emphasizing on movement and form.

I enjoy custom commissions knowing it will be enjoyed in its unique home. I
am based in the Bay Area and teach at Public Glass in San Francisco and also offer private lessons. My Instagram is @gallovisual to see more product or book classes.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I believe that we should expose trade to the youth of this country. Various countries like Mexico and Switzerland give options to teenagers to prepare them for the working world. Being strictly raised to prove your academic achievements and memorization skills is limiting those that are stronger in other aspects. I feel like that would put more value into art/artists and bring in more trade schools and in hand – more jobs.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

My background in visual arts forces the creator to shift perspectives, see things under a different light. My first art teacher showed me to flip a portrait upside down to gauge if proportions were aligned- I feel like that skill can be applied to every day life and interactions to grasp a full picture without being limited to one’s own view.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: gallovisual