Glass materials are in used every day without being even noticed. Through the centuries, glass has kept on meeting people’s and societies’ needs. With technology becoming advanced, there is a constant need for new glass materials with specific properties. So glass is not only a new trend or just a phase.
In homage to the United Nations International Year of Glass 2022, Laeticia Petit and Jonathan Massera, professors from academia and the glass artist Ella Varvio, will discuss the past, present and future of glasses from both scientist’s and artist’s perspective. Especially, they will talk about the glass preparation, including common techniques used in glass art, the applications of glass and the new trends in art. Finally, Ella Varvio, the glass artist, will present a selection of her artworks which will be on display at the French institute from the 31st till the 16th of June.
Event in English
Laeticia Petit received her Ph.D in Materials Science from the University of Bordeaux in France in 2002. She is a Professor in the Photonics Laboratory at Tampere University (TAU, Finland). She is also an Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology at TAU and in the Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory at Åbo Akademi University (Finland). Her current research interests include the processing and characterization of novel active glasses/glass-ceramics and fibers for photonic applications. She focuses her research on understanding composition-structure-property relationship in these materials, with the goal to tailor new compositions to suit specific applications in photonics.
Jonathan Massera received his Ph.D from Clemson University, USA, in 2009. He is a Professor of Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering at Tampere University, in the faculty of Medicine and Health Technology. Jonathan Massera is head of the bioceramics, bio-glasses and bio-composites research group and head of the international MSc degree programme in Biomedical Sciences and Engineering. His research group focuses on inorganic biomaterials development and their composites/hybrids as well as cell/materials and protein/materials interactions. Another axis of research deals with combining photonic into bioactive glasses to develop new biophotonic materials for low light therapy, sensing and imaging.
Glass artist Ella Varvio combines illustration to blown glass artworks. She uses engraving, prints and air bubbles trapped inside layers of blown glass. This creates a sense of depth and looking into another world, she aspires to create dreamlike scenes that do not reveal everything in one look. Varvio graduated as Master of Arts from Aalto University, School of Art, Design and Architecture. She is now based in Tampere, Finland and most of her artworks are made in historic Nuutajärvi village. Her art has been featured in several international exhibitions and publications. Currently she is working in a multidisciplinary PhotonArt project together with the Photonics Glasses group at Tampere University.
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