Meet Chaiah Sullivan, Expert Glassblower

Chaiah (pronounced ‘Kaya’) grew up and lives in a small town on the western slope of Colorado called Paonia.

He first picked up a torch in 2005 at the age of 14 and instantly fell in love with molten glass. Two years later he started working as an assistant at a local hotshop, North Rim Glass LLC. He practiced as a hobbyist while finishing high school, then put all his focus into glass. Between 2010 and 2013, he attended a number of classes at Glasscraft INC and Penland School of Craft in the hotshop as well as flameworking. After learning many different styles and techniques, he explored and experimented to develop his own style of work. Inspired by the eloquence of nature, he strives to make each piece unique and beautiful with his attention to detail.

He was drawn to glass at a young age and instantly fell in love with its viscous nature. There is nothing quite like this hot and flowing substance. It is such a unique and versatile material. With all the different techniques and ways of working, the possibilities are endless. It’s because of this that Chaiah chose to dedicate his life to glass. You could spend lifetimes learning new things and still not know everything.