Born in 1983 in Akita, Japan, Shun KUMAGAI graduated from Akita Municipal Junior College of Arts and Crafts in 2007. He began his journey as an assistant at Akita Municipal Junior College of Arts and Crafts. He started working as a glass artist at Toyama Glass Studio between 2012 and 2015, then moved to Akita Arya Glass Studio in 2017. Since 2020, Kumagai has run a private glass studio in Akita City. Kumagai exhibited in various cities, such as Paris and Kyoto.
 
Kumagai tries to create textures through applying different materials in his works. After a glass piece is completed, the appearance of the soil and metal is influenced by how light falls on the object. So, changes occur each moment in a day. In a dark room, the character of soil becomes apparent and the object may look like earthenware. In the morning sun or the evening sun, the character of glass appears stronger, as if the object itself cast the light.
 
“If you have one of my art pieces, I would like you to enjoy feeling the changes of time throughout the days and seasons from it.”
-Shun Kumagai
 
Glass casting is the technique of forming glass shapes by pouring molten glass into gypsum molds, and allowing it to cool and harden. It can create unique glass surfaces, depending on what kind of mold is used, or what materials are mixed with the glass. Shun Kumagai intentionally mix different materials with the glass in his works.
 
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