Regular glass blowing is a craft that would eclipse most of us, taking a lifetime to perfect. Despite originating in 50 BC, Omer Arbel has challenged the traditional technique, in a quest for originality. Arbel has created a new technique in his search for perfection, creating an entirely new and innovative method of glass blowing.

28 is a chandelier like no other, made to highlight the limitations of glass, and to push the envelope of what’s possible. We’ve not seen anything else like it before, and judging from the unusual technique required to produce the 28 individual pendents, it’s unlikely that we’ll see the technique employed that often in the future either.

Regular glass blowing involves a blowpipe, molten glass, and a strong pair of lungs. The method for producing 28 was created by Arbel for Bocci, and avoids the more traditional way of creating a bubble from the glass by blowing consistently into it.

On his creation, Arbel’s says: “28 is an exploration of fabrication process which is part of our quest for specificity in manufacturing. Instead of designing form itself, here the intent was to design a system that produces form. I developed a method that has loose parameters built into it which produce a different shape in every iteration of the fabrication procedure. Thus, every 28 made is formally different from any other 28 in existence.”

The pendents are created by the glass blower introducing air and removing them again, while at the same time randomly heating it and rapidly cooling it. The unorthodox method creates predictably unorthodox shapes, all of which are different from the last.

Although the outer pendents on 28 are all nearly spherical, the innovative way they’re created also results in a number of inner spheres and shapes, one of which is made up of opaque milk glass, and which can house either a halogen, xenon or LED bulb.

The 28 pendents are “designed to cluster in hexagonal shapes which nestle into each other to create patterns as dictated by the needs of the interior,” according to Arbel.

Although the technique itself sounds relatively simple, you only have to check out Bocci’s video to see just how much love and attention goes into each glass piece made by Arbel.

For more information go to www.bocci.ca

Read our investigation into how glass blowing is changing the NHS blow by blow:

Handmade healthcare: Rebuilding the NHS with craft