Born in Fukuoka, Japan, in 1956, and recognized as one of the leading figures in contemporary glass art, Hiroshi Yamano is lauded for his nature-inspired sculptures that fuse traditional and contemporary materials and techniques. Yamano studied art in his native Japan and in the U.S., and his recurrent fish motif serves as a symbol for his travels across the ocean between the two countries. Yamano incorporates Japanese metal work methods into his process, adding silver leaf engraving and copper plating to the glass. He has described nature—especially Japanese flora and birds—as the inspiration for all of his work. Yamano is the co-founder of Ezra Glass Studio in Japan and chair of the glass department at Osaka University of Arts. He has instructed and lectured throughout the world, including at both the Tokyo Glass Institute and the Pilchuck School of Glass, as well as serving as guest artist in Waterford Crystal in Ireland in 1998. In 1991, Yamano was awarded the Rakow Commission by the Corning Museum of Glass. Hiroshi Yamano attended the California College of Arts and Crafts, the Tokyo Art Institute, Penland School of Crafts (where he served as an assistant), before receiving his MFA from the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY, in 1989. His works are in major collections in Japan, the US, and abroad.
