We talked to glassblower EBox Glass Art about his career and what the future has in store for him. EBox Glass is an incredible artist that grew up in Jackson Beach, Florida, a town known for ornamental glass artists like Lance Sanford as well as having a healthy cannabis glass scene that was tied into the local surfing culture. EBox was deeply embedded in the local surfing culture, often purchasing pipes from Slackers Surf Shop, and in 2010 circumstances led EBox to meet an old-school blower named Sasha Hess who was known for making inline bubblers. EBox Glass had been a political science major in college but he wasn't sure if he wanted to pursue a career in that field. He found that he was more interested in finding ways to earn money by working for himself, and EBox saw that glassblowing could be a lucrative path towards career independence, so he worked with Sasha Hess to learn some basic coil pot techniques, and one of the first pieces that EBox made was a simple nail for dabbing.
As his skills grew, EBox took on more challenging projects and began to sell some pieces here and there. He met another blower named Joel Halen who for a time would become a sort of business partner. EBox and Halen worked side-by-side, teaching each other new techniques and methods and combining resources to sell their work. Eventually EBox was able to rent a small studio space not much larger than a bathroom where he would work for some time. EBox would continue to learn from other glassblowers throughout his career, and to date has never taken a formal class in the craft.
Much of EBox's inspiration comes from the surfing subculture in which he grew up. He says that one of his main sources of inspiration is the act of surfing itself. When you're riding a wave you get into a special headspace where you are solely focused on the ride, and distractions melt away into the background. This focus is the same mindset that EBox tries to achieve when he is working on glass. In addition, EBox also gets much of his inspiration from his experiences with psychedelic drugs in his youth, being a staple in surfing subcultures across the world. As time goes on and his skills expand, EBox finds that his passion for glassblowing has evolved. When he first started, much of EBox's passion came from the excitement of learning a new skill and finding ways to get better at it, now his passion comes from his hard-won skills and the desire to find ways to innovate.
EBox Glass's work is truly astonishing, with a level of complexity and aesthetic quality rarely seen in the work of up-and-coming artists, and we think that the cannabis glass industry would do well to keep an eye on this glassblower. The cleanliness of his work comes from his amazing work ethic and desire to only sell the best of the best pieces. When EBox Glass learns a new technique he practices it over and over until he feels that he has mastered the technique, and only then will EBox incorporate this new technique into his products. EBox Glass doesn't attach his name to any work that isn't up to his very lofty personal standards, so his customers only receive pieces that EBox believes are the absolute best that they can be.
In the future, EBox Glass has some interesting plans to expand his business and his influence on the glass industry. EBox is contemplating starting a small-batch color company so he can create and sell color varieties that aren't readily available from suppliers like Northstar Glassworks and Trautman Art Glass. In addition to this, EBox is also floating the idea of opening a glassblowing school. EBox Glass has never participated in a formal glassblowing contest but he is giving the idea some thought, and he may attend and participate in the competitions at Melt Festival 2021 so keep your eyes out for him if you are planning to attend. You can check out more of EBox Glass's work over at his Instagram page. (@eboxglassart)
