MELAKA, June 21 (Bernama) -- Most people think of interior design as relating to furniture, paintwork, pictures and flower arrangements.
However, decorative glasswork can add another dimension to interior design, whether at home, office or elsewhere.
Stained glass use can be traced back to the Egyptian and Roman Empires, though it is uncertain when it was first used in interior design.
The eighth century, middle-eastern muslim alchemist, Jabir Ibn Hayyan, is believed to be the creator of modern stained-glass techniques.
Coloured glass is stronger and more beautiful than plain glass, and was used to decorate mosques during his time.
The beauty of stained glass has inspired Julie Chan and her husband, Steward Ng, to turn it into the primary product of their interior design business.
The couple set up D'Glass Studio (M) Sdn Bhd 15 years ago, specialising in glass products for interior design. Their products are marketed across the world.
"My husband and I learnt glass-staining in the United States, but my husband is more talented in designing it," she told Bernama in an interview at her office, here.
STAINED GLASS DESIGN
The correct technique has to be determined before designing any glass product.
The company usually imports the types of glass needed to create its pieces. Most of them come from the U.S or China, depending on market prices.
Julie said pieces come in squares, which are then cut in the shape required by the design.
She gave the example of a hibiscus design, which has five petals, a stem and stigma. Five pieces of red glass are cut in the shape of petals. Another piece is cut into a stem, while several yellow pieces are shaped into the stigma.
The pieces are then joined on another piece of glass, or any other suitable medium, using lead or fillers known as 'putty'.
The end product is usually seen on domes of mosques, hotels and palaces in the country.
Julie showed Bernama an artwork created by her husband and their worker - a portrait of former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, created with stained glass and another technique called glass stippling.
GLASS ETCHING
There are five stages in etching images or names onto glass.
The first stage is finding a design that is not too complex or too big for the glass panels. The panels chosen must also be of the right thickness and quality.
The second stage involves deep etching and stippling on a piece of glass, based on a desired image. In the third stage, the carved images are coloured, she said.
The glass is kiln-fired in the fourth stage, to seal colours and refine the etchings, while the fifth stage includes finishing techniques, such as polishing and lacquering.
These methods are suitable for many types of glasswork, including signages and partitions.
Besides etching and stippling, another technique is 'sandblasting', where a high-pressure, high-speed stream of sand is directed at the surface of a piece of glass. With enough force, a white, frosted look can be imparted to the surface.
The 'masking' technique is usually employed along with sandblasting. Stickers, which have been cut in a desired image, are plastered onto a glass panel. After sandblasting, the stickers are stripped away, leaving the outline against a backdrop of white, frosted glass.
KILN-FORMED GLASS
Another technique is placing glass slabs in a mould and firing (heat-processing) them in a kiln.
"The glass slabs melt and fill the mould. As it cools, it retains the shape, and a glass product emerges. This technique is usually employed in creating signages because embossed glass is suitable for letters or numbers," said Julie.
Another glasswork technique that uses heat is the fusing of two or more types of glass, to create a shape.
Julie said this is done by stacking, or layering, two or more stained glass sheets, and firing them. This causes the sheets to fuse, creating beautiful patterns and images.
D'Glass Studio has an impressive array of clients. It has designed doors in humble homes, as well as interiors of majestic palaces.
"The two projects we are most proud of are interior designs for Istana Melaka and Seri Bendahara (the official residence of the Malaccan chief minister). The projects allowed us to give back to the leaders who have contributed much to the state," she said.
D'Glass Studio has also created a stained glass dome for a local hotel, and done the interior design for a European cruise-liner.
Glass etching techniques are developing fast, but technology poses a threat to the beautiful, handmade artform. Imitation glass products of inferior quality are now mass-produced and sold at far cheaper prices than handmade ones.
These products, typically vases and lamps, are imported. Their low price detracts customers from buying original products.
So, we are now more focused on construction material, rather than decorative items, the market for which is dominated by imitation products. I hope the government finds a way to help us protect this craft," she said.
Julie also hopes the government will help others like her in promoting the art, so that it can be learnt by the younger generation as well.
