Devyn Ormsby
Meet Devyn, a New Zealand-based artist casting soft, delicate fruit into beautiful colored glass giving it a whole new purpose. Read about her process and see for yourself, you’ll more than likely want one (or two or three) as a cool decorative glass piece for your desk, book or shelf.
What sparked you to reimagine the way we see fruit by casting it into glass?
I had been glass casting for about 2 years when I thought it was time to start my own glass project. I had seen and was familiar with vintage glass fruit that I didn't personally like but saw the appeal. Which is what started this project to try and make a better more realistic but intentionally playfully coloured fruit.
Has working with glass as a medium shaped your artistry or the way you think in any way?
Yes! I have always been fascinated with materiality. Sometimes more interested in processes rather than outcomes. So when I came across glass I was introduced to a whole new world I had no idea about.
We couldn't help but draw a parallel between the delicacy of fruit and glass - are there other metaphorical ties between the two?
In a way I wanted to distort the senses with these glass fruit. To be unexpected with the hardness and weight contrasted with the light weight and squishy-ness of real fruit.
“In a way I wanted to distort the senses with these glass fruit.”
On your instagram page you show some WIP images of the fruit castings - what is your process and how long does it take from start to finished product?
I use a lost wax casting process. There are many stages involved in this process that take a long time. It will usually take me 2 weeks to complete one. But in saying that I do batches of approx 8-11 pieces. You are multi-tasking all the different stages, which takes a little while to get a good flow.
The glass fruits are equally delightful in both clear and color form. What inspired you to alter each fruit’s natural color, for instance, making a blue banana?
Just wanting to have something familiar with an unexpected twist. I wanted to see what a blue banana looked like, especially because it is opposite to the normal colour yellow.
What’s your favorite fruit?
My favourite fruit to eat are Feijoas. They're only in season for a couple of months in April/May. They're from the guava family so have that sweet tart flavour.
How would you define beauty?
Beauty for me is a sensation. A moment of seeing something that appeals to all the senses and captures your attention and thoughts.
Name 3 songs you're listening to at the moment.
What is your most recent obsession?
The book 'Educated' by Tara Westover and Crash Team Racing. I got really good over lockdown.
What’s something you’ve always wanted to learn?
Guitar
