https://www.fridayglass.com/index.html
Daniel Joseph Friday, a distinguished glass artist and member of the Lummi Nation, hails from Washington State’s picturesque Puget Sound region, where he has resided throughout his life. Deeply connected to his cultural heritage, Friday integrates the traditions and motifs of the Lummi Nation into his creations while employing modern glassworking techniques to produce art that is both contemporary and rooted in Native American identity.
Over the past two decades, Friday has honed his craft by collaborating with some of the most celebrated figures in the glass art world, including Dale Chihuly, renowned for his monumental glass installations; Paul Marioni, an influential figure in the studio glass movement; and Preston Singletary, a fellow Native artist whose work merges Indigenous storytelling with glass as a medium. These experiences have profoundly shaped Friday's artistic vision and technical expertise.
Based in Seattle, Friday operates his own independent glass studio, where he creates pieces that bridge tradition and innovation. His work encompasses a wide range of forms, from functional pieces to intricate sculptures, each reflecting his mastery of the medium and his dedication to preserving and reinterpreting Lummi culture.
Friday’s artistry has earned international acclaim, with his pieces featured in galleries, museums, and private collections around the globe. As an ambassador of both his cultural heritage and the art of glassmaking, Friday continues to inspire and expand the boundaries of what glass art can convey.
Creativity was fostered in me by my family from an early age. Living without TV and knowing our rich cultural heritage of the Lummi Nation, meant that making things with our hands was a regular activity.
I typically work with simple themes and forms, and often employ subtle silhouettes when making my totems. It is a pleasure seeing inanimate objects taking on a life of their own. The more narrative work is usually a personal expression or a means of processing a life event, often with a underlying statement.
When I saw glass blowing for the first time, it felt as though I grew an inch! That is to say, a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders. I had finally figured out what I wanted to be when I grew up. This was no small feat for someone who, as a youth, was rebellious and misguided. Glass altered my life. In spite of my colorful past, and by the grace of a loving community, I found my passion in glass.
Living as an artist may not be directly saving the world, but perhaps we are saving ourselves and hopefully, in the process, making the world a better place.