北海道 小樽より
幸愛硝子（ゆきえがらす）は、吹きガラス作家・木村幸愛（きむらゆきえ）と
その夫が、2009年に北海道・小樽で立ち上げたガラス工房ブランドです。
海を見下ろす高台の森に囲まれたアトリエ「小さな森のなか」にて、
“愛と幸せを運びますように”という願いを込め、一つひとつ手仕事で制作を続けています。
アクセサリーやグラスウェアには、透明度の高いクリスタルガラスを使用。
ただ色を重ねるのではなく、香りの調合のように、国内外から厳選した色ガラスを組み合わせ、
奥行きと深みのある色彩を探求しています。
作品は、当オンラインストアと、ご予約制のアトリエにてご購入いただけます。
2016年には、約8年間過ごした北海道最古の陶芸窯元の古民家から、
海を望む現在の場所へと移転しました。
以降は、「アトリエ全体もまた作品である」という思いのもと、
2035年の完成を目指して、空間と共に創作を重ねています。
海の見える丘の上の硝子工房＆ギャラリー
2007年 第1章スタート
幸愛、東京にて工房をレンタルしながら作品作り。アクセサリーとしては初めての作品となった、虹色のドロップペンダントを「Rainbow - 幸」と名付ける。夫の提案でブランド名に自身の名をつけた「幸愛硝子（ゆきえがらす）」が誕生。同年にオンラインストアを開設。
2008年
夫の故郷であり、幸愛がかつて大阪の高校を卒業後に修行先として選んだ、北海道・小樽へ移住。地道に物件探し
2009年
2007年に100年を超える歴史に幕を閉じた、かつて北海道内最古の陶芸窯元として一時代を築いた「小樽窯」の建物に出会う。廃屋同然だった明治期の木造日本家屋をギャラリーと工房に活用することを決意。移住後の最初のミッションは、リノベーションからスタートした。
2010年夏
はじめての溶解炉をアメリカから輸入するも、サイズが大き過ぎて、入口から入らないことに気がつく。幸いにして大家さんでもあった建材屋さんがご協力くださり、なんとか窓から設置。その様子が「硝子工房誕生の瞬間」として、NHKのニュースで流れる。
2010年9月
工房兼ギャラリー「幸愛硝子（ゆきえがらす）」オープン
2015年
TEDxSapporo 2015 スピーカーとして選ばれる。※TEDxは、TED（Technology, Entertainment, Designの略）と呼ばれる非営利組織の「Ideas worth spreading（広める価値のあるアイデア）」という精神を共有するために世界各地で生まれているコミュニティ。TEDは、世界中の様々な分野で優れたアイデアや経験を共有するためのプラットフォームとして知られている。
2016年
散歩中に運命的な土地に出会う。当時まだそこには鬱蒼とした木々や笹の葉が生い茂り、小動物が住み、小樽の海を一望できて、まるで住宅街に残された、最後の「小さな森」のようであった。
2016年 第2章スタート
長年の夢であった「海が見える工房」を建設し移転。愛犬のサモエド「ざらめ」が道東・中標津にて誕生。
2017年
予算の都合上、エクステリアは砂利だけの状態だったため、「理想」を目指し、夫を中心としてエクステリアをメインにしたDIY生活をスタート。ここから数百の植栽、数十トンに及ぶ土・砕煉瓦等の運搬、総数1万5,000を超えるレンガワーク等を敢行、7年目現在も進行中。同年に幸愛 第一子出産。
2023年夏
憧れの本木雅弘さん、プライベートでアトリエへご来訪、夢叶う。そして、新たな夢抱く。
2023年夏秋
活動の傍で作りためてきた音楽を初めてのインストルメンタルアルバム「青い風が吹く町で」としてリリース。先行してリリースした収録曲のひとつが2021年8月2日iTunes台湾ホリデージャンルで1位獲得
2024年 第3章スタート
「2035年 理想のアトリエを探す旅」と題して2035年までの10年以上に及ぶ時間をかけ、さらに70,000枚のレンガをアトリエ内で使い、理想のアトリエを目指す長期プロジェクトをスタートすることを決意。現在に至る。
作家紹介
木村 幸愛 Yukie Kimura 1978年大阪府生まれ ガラス作家
「ただ見ているだけで、ふっと笑顔になれるような、そんなガラス作品を作って
いきたいと思っています。」
子どもが、遊び方も知らないのにビー玉のきらめきに心を奪われるような──
お気に入りのおもちゃに囲まれて、ただ幸せを感じるような──
そんな感覚を、大人になっても味わえる時間が少しでも多くあればと願っています。
枕元にそっと置かれるぬいぐるみのように。
そばにあるだけで安心できるような、そんな存在になれたらという気持ちです。
小さいころ、私はよく夜がこわくて泣いていました。
隣に寝ている母も妹も、どこか遠くへ離れていってしまうようで、
自分だけがぽつんと取り残された気がして──
暗い部屋の中で、小さく体を丸めて泣いていた時期がありました。
17歳で初めてガラスに触れたとき、
私のテーマは「孤独」でした。
でも、ある時から思うようになったのです。
“この作品で、誰かの孤独がそっと溶けていけばいい”
“見ているだけで自然と笑顔になるようなものがつくれたら、
孤独を表現する必要なんてないんじゃないか”──と。
今日も、灼熱の真っ赤なガラスと向き合いながら、
私は信じています。
ガラスをつくればつくるほど、この世界から孤独が少しずつ減っていくことを。
About YUKIE GLASS
Yukie Glass is a glass studio brand founded by Yukie Kimura, a female glass artist, and her husband Takahiro. Established in 2009, it is located in Otaru, Hokkaido, renowned for its glass craftsmanship.
At the atelier "Yukie Glass - In the Heart of a Small Forest," nestled on a hill overlooking the sea of Otaru and surrounded by trees, we craft each piece by hand, imbuing them with the wish to carry love and happiness.
Yukie Glass accessories and glassware are crafted using high-transparency crystal glass as the primary material. Beyond simply adding color to the surface, we blend colored glass sourced not only domestically but also from various foreign countries, including Germany and New Zealand. Similar to a fragrance blender, we research and experiment to create vibrant colors with depth and richness.
Our pieces are primarily available for purchase through our official online store and in person from our atelier, which operates on a reservation basis.
In the winter of 2016, we bid farewell to the traditional old house where we had spent around eight years and relocated to a hill in Otaru City, offering a panoramic view of the sea. While the old house held a rich history in Hokkaido's pottery traditions, we sought a new place where we could grow. Following the move, we approach the atelier as not just a workspace but also as a piece of art itself. With the goal of completion in 2035, we are engaged in daily creative endeavors.
YUKIE's COMMENT
"People call my glassware the type which brings love and joy because my name consists of two Kanji characters: 幸 (happiness) and 愛 (love). I make them in hope that you would live a long enjoyable and happy life. Just like people present the wishes to the stars, I do it to these drops."
"I aspire to create glass artwork that bring smiles just by looking at them."
"Even though the child doesn't know how to play yet, I feel a sense of joy seeing them captivated by sparkling marbles or happily surrounded by their favorite toys. I hope there are many moments in adulthood when one can immerse themselves in such a sense of happiness. I hope that my glass creations, like stuffed animals placed at a child's pillow, can become a presence like that for someone."
"In my early years, nights were often frightening, leading to tears. The sensation of my mother and sleeping sister gradually drifting away, leaving me feeling completely alone. There were moments when I would quietly crouch and cry by my mother's side while she slept. Although I first touched glass at the age of 17, the initial theme of my work revolved around the "sense of loneliness" I felt during my childhood."
"However, at a certain point, I began to believe that rather than expressing that loneliness through my art, it would be better to overcome it with my creations. I realized that if I could make things that bring smiles, there might be no need to express loneliness."
"Continuing to craft glass pieces, I hold onto the belief that through my work, I can contribute to diminishing loneliness in the world. Today, I continue to face the intense crimson glass with determination."
Yukie Kimura, the artist of Yukie Glass
HISTORY OF YUKIE GLASS
2007 Chapter 1 Begins
During my time living in Tokyo, I began crafting my own pieces in a studio I rented by the hour. It was there that I created my first piece, a rainbow-colored droplet-shaped pendant, which I named 「Rainbow - 幸」 (Rainbow - "Shiawase"), with "Shiawase" representing happiness. When I was grappling with what to name the brand, my husband suggested "Yukie Glass," and it resonated well with me. "Yukie" is actually my first name. In the same year, we launched an online store. Even though I didn't have my own studio at that time, my husband and I decided to envision the same future together. And so, "Yukie Glass" came into existence.
2008
We relocated to Otaru, my husband's hometown and the place where I first apprenticed in glassmaking. After returning to Otaru, We spent some time diligently searching for a property suitable for a glass studio and gallery. Otaru is a charming city located in Hokkaido, Japan, known for its picturesque canal district, historic architecture, and vibrant atmosphere. The city boasts well-preserved buildings from the early 20th century, showcasing a unique blend of Western and Japanese architectural styles.
2009
We stumbled upon the building of the once-prosperous "Otaru-yaki," which was the oldest pottery kiln in Hokkaido until its closure in 2007. The renovation of the dilapidated Meiji-era wooden house became our initial mission in Otaru.
2010 Summer
Importing our first melting furnace from the United States, we realized its size was too large to fit through the entrance. Fortunately, the landlord, who also happened to be a construction materials supplier, kindly assisted us. With a bit of effort, we managed to bring it in through a window and set it up. The entire process was captured as the "moment of glass studio birth," featured on NHK news.
2010 September
We opened the studio and gallery "Yukie Glass," serving both as a creative workspace and an exhibition space.
2015
I was honored to be selected as a speaker for TEDxSapporo. TEDx is a global community born to share the spirit of 'Ideas worth spreading,' coined by TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design), a non-profit organization. TED serves as a platform known worldwide for sharing outstanding ideas and experiences across diverse fields.
2016
We stumbled upon a special place during a walk, where I felt a sense of destiny in the air. Back then, the area was still covered with lush trees and thick bamboo leaves, inhabited by small animals, offering a panoramic view of the sea in Otaru. It felt like the last "small forest" left in the residential neighborhood.
2016 Winter Chapter 2 Begins
We fulfilled a long-held dream by constructing a new studio with a view of the sea and relocating. In the same year, our beloved dog "Zarame" was born in Nakashibetsu.
2017
Due to budget constraints, the exterior was initially in a state where there was nothing but gravel. Striving for our "ideal," my husband took the lead in starting a DIY lifestyle focused on landscaping. From there, we have undertaken the transportation of hundreds of plants, tens of tons of soil and crushed bricks, and used over 15,000 bricks in various projects. Seven years later, the project is still in progress. In the same year, she gave birth to their first child.
2023 Summer
Our admired figure, Mr.Masahiro Motoki, a top actor in Japan, visited our studio in his private capacity. He chose one of our pieces as a gift for his cherished spouse. The unimaginable joy of knowing that our work brought happiness made us feel that it was all worth it. It felt like our dreams had come true. We strongly felt the desire to make him proud when he visits us again in the future, seeing how much we've grown. This experience has inspired us to embrace new dreams.
2023 Fall
We've just dropped our first instrumental album, '青い風が吹く町で' (8 tracks, 38 minutes). Music holds a special place in our hearts, and it serves as a vibrant source of inspiration in our lives! One of the tracks we released ahead of the album secured the top spot in the iTunes Taiwan Holiday genre on August 2, 2021.
2024 Chapter 3 Begins
Under the theme "Journey to Find the Ideal Studio in 2035", we have decided to embark on a long-term project spanning from 2024 to 2035. Over the course of more than 10 years, we will utilize an additional 70,000 bricks within the studio, creating various structures and objects, all in pursuit of our ideal studio.
We appreciate your interest in Yukie Glass and our glass products.
Your e-mail is important to us. An appropriate Yukie Glass representative will respond promptly.