Esque Studio is a small glass blowing studio based out of St. Johns, Portland. Started by Andi Kovel and Justin Parker, the studio uses glassblowing techniques to create works of art that are modern, functional and aimed at the design industry.
Portland designer competes on Netflix’s glassblowing series, ‘Blown Away’
Updated Jan 22, 2021;
Posted Jan 22, 2021
Andi Kovel, a Portland-based designer and co-owner of Esque studio, is one of 10 contestants in Season 2 of the glassblowing competition series, Blown Away. (Photo: David Leyes/courtesy of Marblemedia)
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As more competition series come to our screens, viewers have the opportunity to learn about details specific to baking,cooking, sewing, tattooing, gardening and all sorts of art forms and activities we probably know nothing about. Add to that group glassblowing, thanks to “Blown Away,” a Netflix series featuring contestants who compete in glassblowing challenges.
These days, thereâs a reality competition show for just about everything, from baking to fashion to pottery. But Netflixâs
Blown Awayâin which expert glassblowers compete for prizes including a residency at the Corning Museum of Glass in upstate New Yorkâis especially worth a watch. There are no amateurs in sight, and watching the contestants work with delicate materials in high temperatures is especially riveting. Plus, the end results are beautiful.
Season two of the show will premiere on the streaming service on January 22, and that same day, the Corning Museum will launch an exhibition featuring one piece from each of the 10 contestants, who hail from around the world. One is Andi Kovel, whose Esque Studio (with partner Justin Parker) was named to
Blown Away
By
Aurora Biggers
1/18/2021 at 5:00am
Andi Kovel in season two of NetflixâsÂ
Blown Away
Netflixâs reality show
Blown Away accrued a bit of a cult following after its first seasonâsome followers from the world of gaffers, molten glass, and glory holes (the high-powered furnace glassblowers use to turn vitrescent materials into fragile, opaline sculptures is, in fact, called a âglory holeâ) as well as some total glassblowing novices. And who can blame its fanatics, with the showâs menagerie of bright, glassy pop art, montages of glass smashing on the hot room floor, and carefully clipped action shots of glass stretched like 1,000-degree taffy?