Yuri Iwamoto is a glass artist based in Japan.

Her work takes inspiration from plants and the human body, shaping the inherent energy of melting glass into physical form.

"Molten glass moves like a living being.

In my practice, I shape glass as if to hold onto its energy and its quiet sense of will before it cools and solidifies.

Recently, I have come to think that I am creating “bodies” through glass. While hot, glass is soft, unstable, and responsive, carrying a vitality that feels almost alive. I seek to give form to this life force by shaping it into bodies such as fruit, flowers, or juice—vessels that suggest growth, nourishment, and circulation. These forms are not representations of specific plants, but rather expressions of living presence itself.

I am deeply inspired by wild plants and irregular vegetables, whose unrestrained shapes convey strength, resilience, and individuality. Encountering such forms often brings a quiet joy—the simple recognition that life exists here, in all its unevenness and vitality. Through glass, I try to translate this feeling into physical objects.

My works aim to celebrate life not through perfection, but through movement, softness, and imbalance. By capturing the fleeting energy of molten glass, I hope to create pieces that quietly sing of existence, presence, and the joy of being alive."