Maker

Samuel Reis

Created by Samuel Reis, who elevates the ancient craft of glassmaking to contemporary art through the Cerne project, transforming tree trunks into natural molds for unique pieces.

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GLASS, NATURE AND CONTEMPORARY ART

The story2piecesSee the pieces

After graduating in Industrial Design from ESAD, in Caldas da Rainha - a city with a strong ceramic tradition - Samuel Reis stood out as a product designer, bringing new interpretations to ancestral crafts and exploring glass, wood, and ceramics through contemporary languages.

In glass, he works side by side with a team of master glassmakers, starting only with fire, sand, and air, in cast iron, graphite, or ceramic clay molds. Then, he decided to experiment. He discovered that hollowed wood logs, already without their natural core (cerne), could be cut and transformed into organic molds that would give unexpected shapes to the glass. He named the project Cerne.

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From flasks to glasses, from jugs to lamps, his technique is free so that the materials retain life in the final forms - and his precision ensures functionality and beauty. Although his work travels the world - it was featured in the Homo Faber exhibition in Venice and selected by the Michelangelo Foundation for Excellence in Craftsmanship - Samuel chooses to live and work in Caldas, integrated into an expanding artistic community.

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The journey

Samuel Reis

Background and Early Recognition

After training in Industrial Design at ESAD, in Caldas da Rainha, a city famed for its ceramic traditions, Samuel Reis quickly earned the status of coolest glassmaker in town, elevating a millennia-old craft to contemporary art.

Process and Innovation: The Cerne Project

At first, there was only fire, sand and air in typical moulds of cast iron, graphite or even ceramic clay. But then Samuel started experimenting. He found that he could take a wooden trunk, remove its core and turn it into a hollow, natural mould that would generate unexpected, organic glass shapes. He called it the Cerne (trunk’s core) project.

Craft and Aesthetic Approach

From jars to glasses, from vases to lamps, his technique is free-form, so that the raw materials feel alive in the final objects, while his precision guarantees function and beauty.

Recognition and Community

His work travels the world. He has been featured in the Homo Faber exhibition in Venice, selected by the Michelangelo Foundation for Excellence in Craftsmanship.

Photo credits: Maria Eduarda

The technique

ABOUT GLASS

In Samuel Reis' work, glass takes on a new life, becoming the protagonist. Using the Cerne technique, glass is blown into wooden moulds, acquiring textures and shapes that reflect nature, resulting in unique pieces that defy convention.

Handmade by Samuel Reis

The pieces

Hearthwood Glasses

Scarce62,20 €

Hearthwood Glass Jar

Scarce118,20 €

TIMELESS

Samuel Reis demonstrates that glass can be more than just a functional material; it can be a form of art. His innovative approach, which combines traditional techniques with a contemporary vision, results in pieces that are both utilitarian and sculptural. The Cerne project is a testament to human creativity and the ability to transform simple materials into objects of timeless beauty.

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