Quim Falcó + Txell Tembleque
Today I have the third installment of BCN Handmade in store for you, and will be sharing images of the stunning pieces of art and recycled items that are made by Quim Txell Comglas right here, in Barcelona. Ready? Here goes!
I first heard of this couple and the wonderful things they create from glass (both recycled and new) when Openhouse was launched last year, and was immediately curious as to how they work and who they are. So when I started this section for the Cute Suite blog, I got in touch with them and asked Quim and Txell if they would like to be a part of this project. Luckily they were happy to join in, and invited me to visit their workshop in the Sants neighbourhood, where they greeted me with broad smiles one morning in February.
There I learned that Quim Txell Comglas work with glass panes which they fuse together, and molds they make themselves, to create beautiful pieces that often have handwritten texts inserted into them, and which frequently emulate normal everyday items, such as bottles, stones, and even bread. Apart from these everyday items, they also create unique pieces that are veritable glass sculptures. Additionally, they work on commissions to create all manner of glass items, and with old bottles (from beer, water, spirits, etc.) which they recycle into super cute glasses, cups, saucers…
You can see many of their pieces, and snap shots of their workshop in the following slideshow, and afterwards, Quim and Txell will tell you a bit about themselves and how they got to where they are today.
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Where are you from?
Meritxell was born in Barcelona. Joaquin in Ripoll, a small town in the Pyrenees, in Girona.
What does Barcelona mean to you?
Barcelona is a huge melting pot. Here we “find” ourselves, here we discover something that continues to fascinate us: glass as art material, and it is here in Barcelona where we have our studio-workshop in the neighborhood of Sants.
Favourite spot?
In Barcelona there are plenty of interesting places at all levels: architecture, cultural facilities, leisure, commercial …
But we’ve always been attracted to spaces that are “abandoned” and anonymous, like the empty plots of land waiting for something to be built on them. During that wait, nature conquers such spaces, it fills them with plants, and after the plants insects arrive, snails, birds… We like these sites for they remind us that nature is there, able to take root in all the cracks that we leave.
How did you get here (i.e. to where you are now)?
Joaquim came to study Fine Arts and Meritxell studied Applied Arts. We met in 1992 at the School of the Glass Arts of Barcelona, where we undertook out specialized studies. In 1995 we got a scholarship to go to the Czech Republic. We were in the Bohemia area, well known both for its tradition and innovation in the art of glass. We worked in the workshop of Czech artist Jaroslav Wasserbauer, and visited renowned artists. Once back in Barcelona we taught at the School of the Glass Arts. Then in 2001 we set up our workshop in the neighborhood of Sants.
When / how does inspiration strike?
Observing the apparently small and insignificant is a constant source of surprise and fascination for us both.
What do you find satisfying about your making process?
We enjoy the whole process. With each project and each piece it is different, we don’t have a particular system. Our work process is always open, there is no predefined plan to be carried out. However, there are two constants, which are key moments: the baking in the over, where the glass will transform from solid into liquid and again to solid. And afterwards a ‘cold’ work process: cutting, shaping and polishing with different techniques, tools and abrasive materials.
Dreams, hopes?
To continue to do what we enjoy, that our work reaches more people and that it may help construct something positive.
Recycled bottles
It was a delight to share this post with you today – for I am super impressed by Quim and Txell’s craftsmanship, and in awe of the pieces they are able to create from a humble glass bottle or a simple sheet of glass! The cups, made from recycled bottles, are currently for sale at Openhouse (Carrer Notariat 6, Barcelona) and a number of sculptures are exhibited at M3 Interiors (Carrer Sant Joan 10, Baixos, Sant Celoni).
Thank you Quim and Txell for opening the doors of your workshop and sharing your art with us! I look forward to seeing many more beautiful pieces in the future! Check out Quim and Txell’s blog here and their Facebook page here.
(Thanks also to Andrew from Openhouse and Jordi from M3 Interiors, for allowing me to take photos of the cups and art pieces.)
Tags: Barcelona, Comglass, Cute Suite, Glass, Handmade, Openhouse, Recycling, Sculpture
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