Designer & Glass Artist

Maria Dov is a Glass Artist and founder of the ‘Glass Me Studio’ based in Haifa, Israel. Maria studied Civil Engineering at the Open University of Israel before completing BA in Ceramics & Glass at the Bezalel Academy of Arts & Design, Jerusalem in 2020.

Her work is strongly influenced by her previous studies in engineering highlighting the love for precision and proper technique. Maria studied at the - VDA- Vilnius Art Academy, Lithuania as part of a student exchange program in 2018. She completed several internships, classes at the Corning Museum of Glass, worked as assistant for artists such as sculptor Sasha Serber and glass artist Jeremy Langford.

Recent exhibitions have included a commission to make statues for ceremony in a memory of the Oslo Children’s Disaster, statues were given to elected officials of the ceremony. Permanent installation at the Beit HaNassi (Official residence of the President of Israel- “President’s House”). Annual exhibition 2023 at the ALROV Mamilla avenue, Jerusalem. Maria received the prize for high academic achievements at the Bezalel Graduate Exhibition 2020 for her graduate project “InferNow”.


Artist Statement

The main focus of my artistic research is the exploration of the flexibility in my own thinking and re-evaluation of matters, related to human behavior: needs, habits, wishes, and hopes. I aim to challenge the norms of human nature and society.

I approach these topics through the exploration of both folk and modern cultures: the world of symbols, metaphors, proverbs and tales, expressing wisdom and morality. I am constantly in search for analogies, interconnecting stories and plots. I see myself as a visual anthropologist of a modern-day time.

I mainly use glass as my medium as I find it to have almost mysterious properties, such as transparency and visual illusions, thus it is a perfect material to make my ideas manifest. Glass is poignant in it’s delicateness but equally captivating in its strength.

For me, working with glass is like opening pandora's box. There is no turning back after experiencing the intoxicating effects of literally playing with fire. The material challenges me due to the spontaneity of the making process, therefore helps me to add the natural and unexpected element to every artwork. Working with glass I feel I can do everything that is impossible in reality.

The main dichotomy of my artistic practice is the freedom of thinking and challenging the conformist norms in my research and the scientific precision in my making, that glass requires as a medium. Mainly I work with kiln casting as well as flame-working techniques. The challenges of the two very different disciplines the never-ending challenge. Through constant learning the nuances of glass and its temperamental nature motivates me and challenges to express myself in such a beautifully frustrating medium.

Glass has mesmerizing, almost magical properties, adding extra layers to perception of my work.I am always keen to explore how glass relates to dreams, identities, and awareness in the human perception.