PRESENTED by S CAFE
SIBELLE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Jathan Campbell @jathancphoto
Rings EYEBA @eyeba.nyc
WORDS BY Kimberly Haddad
When and how did you discover that you were a creative person?
I discovered my creativity when I was very young, between three and five years old. Back then, we lived near the beach where I spent most of my time outside, catching all types of critters and chasing our cat around. I was inspired by animals and would draw them every day. My mom encouraged me to be creative and enrolled me in a private kindergarten that used the arts as a way to learn.
Why did you choose this medium for expressing your creativity?
While I was finishing my first degree in illustration, I took an intro to glass casting class as an elective. During that time, I realized how unique the material was. Glass never stood out to me as a medium to make art, but the properties were so intriguing that I decided to pursue it as a second degree. There was no plan for it at the time. I just knew I wanted to continue investigating its mysterious properties. Because glass is so difficult to control, I wasn’t easily satisfied by the early results and it became addicting. I was continuously trying to improve. Sometimes, I honestly still don’t know why I chose this medium, but I suppose it’s because I love the way it flows and the process can be meditative.
Please describe how you feel when you are creating something.
My feelings when making a piece is always changing. Depending on the type of project I’m working on, I can be impatient and bullheaded or relaxed and lost in movement. Glass is interesting because there are days when it wants to dance and other days where it bites back. It has a mood that reflects your mood. When I approach a project with a clear mind, the material is very fun to work with and hours can fly by. This is when the most magical sculptures are made. Everything takes longer than expected and many all-nighters take place. The final moves on a large project are the most hair-raising, especially on the advanced pieces, which can take up to a week to fabricate. These projects are the most difficult, but also so exciting and rewarding.
Discuss the concept behind the images you have selected and what message you hope to send to your audience with your work.
It was difficult for me to narrow down which images to share because I don’t make just one thing. My audience is mostly composed of cannabis enthusiasts who collect my work for smoking, so I express myself through sculptural pipes and accessories. On the other hand, I love creating miniature characters to wear as jewelry as well as exploring the integration of glass and apparel. I shared the results of a collaboration I did with The Elder Statesman and Ugg, which opened the doors to a different way for my glass sculptures to function. My curiosities and interests keep me in an ongoing state of exploration, but what I keep constant is the element of fantasy. I’m influenced by the aesthetics from manga, sci-fi, mythology, and video games. I just want to bring my viewers into my world. I want them to stay a while and have some fun.
Does your creativity reflect events in your life or your own personality? Everything in my life informs my work. Even if it isn’t obvious, I use the process of blowing glass to work through unfinished thoughts, frustrations, curiosities, and many other things that affect my life. I tend to be naturally enthusiastic and bubbly, but I am also intense and determined. The physical process of blowing glass satisfies my need to be hands-on and the thoughtfulness used to approach techniques fulfills my need to critically solve problems. Not only do I need to be creative in the design of a final piece, but I also need to execute the techniques in order to make it.
What does being an artist mean to you?
I’m very proud to be an artist because I’ve always felt I had something to prove. I could never allow myself to live a mundane existence that called for a way to escape each day. I’ve done everything in my power to keep my creative flow alive, even if it meant living on lower wages. Being an artist always felt like an unattainable dream, but when I became independent, I had to take a step back and thank myself for the hard work—both mentally and physically—that it took to achieve this. An artist’s path isn’t always pretty. It’s actually quite difficult because of how personal it is. I have to pour my heart out and expose my vulnerability often. It’s an interesting way to let go of the ego, but it can also inflate the ego if you’re not careful.
If this collection of images was a playlist, what three songs would be on it?
“Be a Body” by Grimes, “Kaneda” by Geinoh Yamashirogumi, and “Like a Pen” by The Knife.
