My first encounter with Chihuly was in Boston. I walked into this building and there it was – a huge unknown sea creature hanging from the ceiling, composed of a thousand small, irregular, organic pieces of glass.
I didn’t know who Chihuly was but I was amazed by this sculpture’s mysterious light and color. So, when the Royal Ontario Museum announced the Chihuly exhibition last year, I made up my mind to go.
ROM displays his art works in the dark. The lack of background light allows the shining glasses to dramatically stand out – illuminated by some direct light and mostly by the sculptures’ own brilliance. I felt like I was watching a movie when I walked by each piece. I gazed at the color and the light. For a couple of seconds I fell into some stories that ran in my mind. Chihuly indeed created a surreal space perfect for one’s own imagination.
I couldn’t help but wonder – if we could reach the depths of the sea, would this be it?
“I want people to be overwhelmed with light and color in a way that they’ve never experienced.”
– Dale Chihuly
CHUNG LING 