Aureate

The Agni settlement is located just outside of Auroville's future Crown road, somewhat hidden alongside the western tar road to Pondicherry. While opening the green metal gate, there's no hint whatsoever that a glass artist studio is located here. However, after the first turn of the path, colourful glass tiles on a door of one of the houses catch the eye of the visitor and lead the way to the glass studio AUREATE.

Fusion of light, gold and colour

We find ourselves in the studio of Hans Isler, an Aurovilian painter and glass artist from Switzerland. A huge table dominates the light, spacious room and is covered by numerous bowls that are filled with hundreds of small glass tiles, sorted in various colour ranges waiting to be used in the work.

The morning sun shines on -and through- the already finished glass tiles and bowls on the table, and intensifies the brightness of their colour. The wealth of colour in the studio is tremendous and overwhelming, and forces one to stop for a moment of quiet reflection.

Turning a vision into reality

How did it all begin? Hans learnt his profession from a painter and restaurateur back home in Switzerland. The combination of these artistic techniques resulted in the happy fact that besides mastering brush, colour and shape, he also got acquainted with the nowadays rarely used technique of gilding.

In 1978 Hans came for the first time to Auroville and in 1981 he decided to stay for good. At the time, the Matrimandir construction team was searching for a way to produce the 'gold disks' for the structure's outer skin and needed experts in gilding and glasswork. Naturally, Hans joined the team and was instrumental in the long and challenging process of turning an idea, a vision, into reality..

Experimentation and joy

Presently, the glass work on Matrimandir is almost finished and the fact that Hans, being an artist, had started integrating the gilding and glass techniques into his personal creative work was only natural. His first creations were the multi-coloured glass tiles, which attract the visitor while approaching his studio.

Each tile consists of two or more glass layers that enclose graceful, soft collages made out of coloured glass. Whether the contours remain or melt together depends on the chosen temperature of the self-built oven at the backside of the studio. Variations with different materials and temperatures lead to unexpected results and, naturally, this calls for endless experimentation and joy.

Fine and elegant touch

Of course, Hans is receiving orders from other Aurovilian residents: windows and panels can be made as per the wishes of the users, designed by Hans. His latest productions are round bowls of which the glass base plate is beset with glass mosaics (done by glass fusion) that provide a quite special, subtle effect. In almost each object a trace of gold leaf is distinguishable. Applied with a fine, elegant touch, it speaks its own language and unmistakably expresses the artist's special sign and signature.

Contact hansan@auroville.org.in