Lithuania native Alina is a contemporary glass artist. Her love for glass design began at Vilnius Academy of Fine Arts, where she learned techniques including blown glass, fusing, etching, casting, and stained glass under the instruction of Valmantas Gutauskas, apprentice of the acclaimed Dale Chihuly. She also studied art history at the Akademie der Bildenden Kunste Munchen, where she found inspiration in Franz Klein, Egon Schiele, and Gustav Klimt.
After graduating Alina travelled, ultimately moving to Connecticut in 2010. Although the values her academic education, she enjoys experimenting with different materials, paying tribute to traditional technique while embracing ‘the now’ and letting go. Today, Alina’s preferred glass medium is mirror, which she manipulates using acids and paint. Surprising passages of color and pattern entwined with preserved reflective areas create a charged, fluid composition that responds to light and its environment.
"There are two things that fascinate me when working with mirrors: that my “canvas” is a challenging surface with which to work, and the introduction of a finished piece into an environment," Alina says. "Each new space or angle engages the viewer; reflections of light or rooms become a part of the piece. In a way, these mirror paintings are never-ending creations.
