Nao Yamamoto was one of 10 master artists chosen out of hundreds of applicants from around the world to be featured in Season 2 of the Netflix show “Blown Away.” And, she is also the first artist-in-residence at Barrio Glassworks, the only public glassblowing studio and retail gallery in Carlsbad Village.
Nao was born in Japan and has spent the last nine years building her artistic practice in the United States. She received her Masters of Fine Arts in studio art and design from California State University, San Bernardino in 2014, and her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Tama Art University, in Tokyo in 2011, specializing in glass art. She creates artwork inspired by the simple beauty of glass and nature, to celebrate the power of life.
Nao will be in residence at Barrio Glassworks (3060 Roosevelt St.) from May 25 – May 28. She will be blowing glass live with the assistance of local glassblowers throughout the day during the studio’s regular hours of 10am to 6pm, and the public is welcome to come watch her in action. She will be creating a wall installation (rendering below) called “Let Your Thoughts Grow” that will then be assembled and on display at Barrio Glassworks.
According to Mary Devlin, co-owner of Barrio Glassworks, “The wall installation visualizes the growth of our state of mind. From emotions, to desire, we experience it as a story. Seeing the flow of growth in the rainbow color of plants gives us a sense of ease and a silver lining.”
