“Craftsmanship is endangered all over the world,” says ethereal glass designer Lameice Abu Aker, “but even more specifically in Palestine.”

Born and raised in Jerusalem, Lameice is striving to retain what she describes as a “dying industry.” Her eye-catching, colorful designs are the driving force behind her ‘Ornamental by Lameice’ brand. 

She is tapping into a heritage that is thousands of years old; as early as 100 BC, the Middle East was a hot spot for glassblowing. Specifically, glass factories in Hebron (in the West Bank) once received visits from pilgrims who would enjoy vibrant glassware and jewelry designs. Centuries later, some family businesses remain, having passed down through generations. 

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During a long-distance video chat with Lameice, it becomes clear there is a deeper motivation to her designs. There is a desire to keep the spirit of Palestinian craftsmanship deeply alive and present. 

She wants those who use her glass designs to see the light in themselves and the world.

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(This conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.)

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What initially drew you to glassmaking as an artistic medium?

I wanted to start a project where I could focus on our heritage. I wanted to use the resources that we have already in Palestine and tell our narrative through more modern designs. I was researching different materials and craftsmanship and going to different villages. During that time, I discovered glassmaking and it just made sense for me.”

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What about it made sense?

Glass is a very rebellious material. It does what it wants. It's very similar to my personality in a way. I feel like I can express myself through it because it's very fluid; it's very dreamy. It's flexible and leaves room for experimentation. It's also historically tied to our region. We've been practicing it for a very long time and it requires a high level of skill. Our artisans are able to play around with this material in a way that really brings to life my ideas.

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Did you have any major influences when you first got started or even now?

My inspiration comes from nature and forms. But I'm also interested in the idea of femininity, what it means to be feminine and being in touch with myself and my feminine side. I try to express that through glass. But also the works of other artists. For example, Samia Halaby, a Palestinian artist. She's very optimistic with her work, even though she's been through a lot. But I love her use of color and the optimism in her work. It really inspires me and it made me want to incorporate that in my work. And that's why my work is really buried in color and forms.

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Lameice’s designs are undeniably unique. They break the expectations of regular glassware. I’m curious as to what her design process must look like; how does she combine tradition with unconventional approaches? 

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A lot of artists have a design process that is specific to them and natural to them. What is yours like?

Usually, after I get inspiration, I sketch some forms and play around with them. Then I’ll go to the workshop and I will discuss it with a family of glass blowers I work with. They’re called the Twam family, located in a very small village in the West Bank called Gaba’. They’ve worked as glassblowers throughout their generations; the grandfather, the father, the kids. They’re a really big, well-known family. We experiment with the shapes and forms that I create. We try to bend with the materials. We try to test it, basically, and to see what are our limits, what are our boundaries. But also, sometimes the shapes don't really come out the way that I initially thought because glass can go out of character sometimes, which is really cool because a lot of designs that we really like came suddenly while we were working on something specific and then just, something strange happened!

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In what ways do you infuse your personal style and experiences into your glass pieces? 

I think everything comes from personality. Everything comes from the process of thinking, from the emotions. I like to invite a good feeling through the color choices and the forms. I'm very keen to maintain optimism. So, I go for forms that are a little whimsical. There's a little bit of fantasy in a lot of my designs. I think it's just my way of saying, we need a little bit more of that. We don't need to be too serious. We don't need to be too rigid. I try to stay away from sharpness or edginess in my work; I try to go for more natural, organic forms. But also make them a little bit awkward, a little bit funny.

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With various pieces on sale and viewable online, it’s clear there is a ‘style’ in Lamecice’s work; yet no piece quite looks the same. They all have a unique character. 

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How has your work evolved?

I think there's an element of repetition in my work that re-appears without me trying. Curvy shapes are persistent in my work, but I’ve definitely evolved. I'm always trying to learn and grow with different materials. When it comes to glass, there are always more things to learn about it and more experiments to take. We learn along the way. That develops your sense of style, the way that you see the material and what you can do with it.

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How far does your Palestinian cultural heritage influence your work? Do you think it will in the future?

I think it's a good mix of tradition and personalization. Part of my identity is my cultural identity. So, it does play a role. The craft itself is very traditional and very present in our history. And the fact that I'm a Palestinian and that I come from this land and heritage means it’s present in my work. I make a design that caters to that. For example, what do Palestinian tables look like? What are we? What glassware or tableware are we attracted to? We are really attracted to coffee, for example, so it was important for me that one of the designs works with Arabic coffee. But I try to be a little bit more experimental. Sometimes I start with traditional shapes, but then I add more of my personal vision. I'm also very interested in modernizing the designs to speak to a more global audience.

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Glassware in Palestine is still a tourist and local attraction. But with ongoing export problems and the obvious restrictions on the Palestinian movement, its production suffers. Its future, like most of the region, is uncertain. 

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You said that you feel that glassblowing craftsmanship is endangered, especially in Palestine. What do you think the future looks like?

I think we live in a very fast-paced world right now. So, a lot of craftsmanship from all over the world is diminishing and dying because working by hand isn't as traditional and interesting for people as it used to be. We live in a world that, for the main part, is interested in fast fashion and fast consumption. We forget to actually put our identity in our surroundings and say, “Okay, why am I interested in having this piece in my space?

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How much does that influence your designs?

I'm trying to challenge that. I want people to think about the objects in their space. What do they mean to them? Where do they come from? What is their story? Because there's a story behind every object. Unfortunately, we're losing that slowly because we are focusing more on fast furniture and fast production pieces. We're losing that personal touch that is put in these objects, the story behind these objects. That's one thing. In Palestine, there's a little bit more of that because we face more constrictions when it comes to material sourcing. I think it makes it a little bit more difficult. But I think Palestinians already know they need to work harder than most people to come to the same result in a way. But in the end, I'm more interested in the goal and shedding light on our work. We have talent, we have capacities, we have amazing art and skills and we're able to showcase our work wherever we go and very confidently. This is the point. It proves that we are here, we are able, and we exist, our identity still exists.

You’ve said before your work is very fluid and airy. What do you want to communicate through it and your studio? 

I want people to be able to interpret the work for themselves and to see where that sits in their home and how they feel about it. How does it speak to them? But also in a way that invites them to not take themselves too seriously, to have a fantasy world. So what if the form is a little bit playful? What if the color is very beautiful? I want them to think of that. I think it's an invitation for us to not worry too much.

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You’ve released dozens of pieces, do you have any favorites currently?

There's a vase that I have that is called ‘Yasmin’ that replicates a Roman flask. It's a lenticular shape. So, it's very thin and very round. Long ago it was functional, used for liquor and wine. It's also a form from a very long time ago here in Palestine. I'm drawn to it. Also, ‘Dreamlike Jug’. With that, we’re using different methods of glass working; we're beating the glass, flame-working the glass and we're blowing the glass. So, there is a lot of teamwork that makes me feel it has a very strong, yet very feminine form.

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Finally, what future goals do you have for your glass-blowing practice in your studio and your brand? What’s the future like?

I hope that my studio will be able to contain more artisans and mediums as we go by. We are building it piece by piece. Our studio isn’t very old. It's less than three years old. So, we are incorporating more and more work as we go. We do have plans for the future; working more on shedding light on our artisans in different fields and different crafts.

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Lameice Abu Aker (b. 1993) is a Palestinian multi-medium, glass-blowing designer and owner of ‘Ornamental by Lameice’. Her work has been featured at both the Milan Design Week and the Design Doha Biennial. She can be found on her personal Instagram and brand Instagram accounts. 

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