The ability to express your emotions or sentiments and then encapsulate them in a piece of art is rare and peculiar. This talent for the self-expression of ideas is what defines a true artist. To have the capacity to connect with the audience and build a means of communication that is not limited to words or speech. John Moran, American mixed media and glass artist, is a prodigy in creating artistic pieces that surpass boundaries and connect with the audience.
Endless Night. Photo: Evert Van Laere
Wretched Refused. Photo: Amber Vanbossel
When it comes to creation, John is a master of figurative realism in the medium of glass art. He is recognized as one of the best in the glass community; he says, “I work to capture the emotion and feeling of the figure in my one-of-a-kind, bespoke sculptures.” He appeared on the Netflix show Blown Away, an artistic glasssculpting reality tv show, and competed against the masters of said domain. However, John won the grand prize, which is a testimonial of his skill and talent.
Before heading to Blown Away, John started Gent Glas, a non-profit community glass studio in Belgium. There he hosted open-door events attracting 50-100 visitors weekly. Along with this, he offered thousands of workshops to individuals and completed several significant works for renowned artists.
John has the ability to capture his ideology in his designs, which is quite rare and differs from his contemporaries. His work shies away from typical decoration and incorporates his own political and personal philosophy. In his exhibition, ‘On Solid Water,’ he presents the world in its most absurd form, combining different pop icons and political situations under one umbrella. He combined representations of Mickey Mouse, a drowning refugee, the Odanna; a hybrid between Ronald McDonald and the Virgin Mary, and a terrorist together, highlighting the heavy influx of newsflashes that one comes across every day, and yet how unaffected and immune the modern man has become.
He wishes to awaken people from the deep slumber of apathy and for them to ask ethical questions through his artistic creations. His stylistic choice of satire is what makes the message more real and urgent. John’s goal is to make the audience aware of the swamp we as a society are sinking in, and for this, he continues to incorporate one-of-a-kind techniques that make him stand out among other artists. To learn more about his exhibitions and his ideas, visit his website.
