About
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The work of Krista Israel (Amersfoort, 1975) exists at the intersection of memory, material, and the contradictions of contemporary society. Glass is her primary medium, through which she creates toys, everyday objects, and hybrid creatures using kiln casting and flamework techniques. Humor and irony play a central role in her approach: she employs them to explore both the comforting and the confronting aspects of our reality.
A recurring element in Israel’s practice is the “glass fur” that covers many of her sculptures. This texture, built from thousands of individually pulled glass hairs, appears sharp but feels unexpectedly soft. The inspiration comes from her most cherished childhood toy: a snowy owl plush made from rabbit fur by an Inuit maker. In moments of unrest, this tangible object offered her comfort and a sense of security—an experience she now translates into glass. Although Krista Israel’s work often entices through realism and material virtuosity, beneath the surface lies a bittersweet tension. By weaving technical innovation with deeply personal references, she creates artworks that are both visually compelling and emotionally unsettling—mirrors in which our vulnerability, desires, and uncomfortable truths become visible. "... Israel's sculptures and installations transform a virtuosic medium into a mirror for our ugly thruths."
"....Her works are in a realistic style, but it is not about the obvious reality"
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Photo - Steven van Kooijk Photography
Click on image for more pictures New Woman's Work: Reimagining "Feminine" Craft in Contemporary Art
Angelik Viscarrondo-Laboy Author and curator, 2024 (USA) "With sculptures of cute toys, commonplace objects and disturbing hybride creatures created through kiln casting and flamework, Krista Israel uses humor to meditate on the state of contemporary society. These sculptures are often covered with "glass fur". This might sound prickly and uncomfortable, but the artist engineered a technique of pulling each glass "hair" with tweezers to make thousands of of thin appendages that feel soft to the touch. This approach was inspired by het favorite childhood toy: a snowy owl plushie of soft white rabbit fur made by an Innuit craftsperson, which provided Israel a sense of security in moments of disstress. This sensory experience remains crucial to her well-being, which she symbolizes through glassy coats on her sculptures, combining childhood memories, sociopolitical commentary, and irony." Neues Glas Magazine #2/3, 2020
Helene Besançon Curator National Glass Museum (NL) “Krista Israel is a mixed media artist with a main focus on glass. Looking at her work it is like entering a story. The artworks are pleasing to the eye, but there is a layer of bittersweetness in all of them. Her works are in a realistic style, but it is not about the obvious reality - she is an artist who uses a broad variety of techniques, using the natural characteristics of glass to express her thoughts and reflections of the world and people, thus addressing the needs of our well-being. The combination of different techniques and her thoughts make her work complex and intriguing.” |