Katie Kismet
Who, How, Why
Meet Katie
A native Texan, I spent 15 years working in advertising and graphic design while living all around the world before returning to my beloved Austin. In 2018, while visiting Rome, my curiosity led me into (yet another!) one-off workshop where I fell in love with the medium of glass. I emerged bursting with ideas, and a passion and business was born.
Why glass?
I love that it's all around us, yet we hardly give a thought to it. I love that it's a natural material and is recyclable, reusable, and can be fired many times, enabling my glass work to be zero-waste. I love it for its luminosity and (most days ;) for its creative challenges.
Inspiration and Purpose
Katie Kismet designs have a visual through-line informed by a love for modern art and architecture, a playful approach to color, and Scandinavian minimalism. (Annual visits to family in Denmark make an impression!) Creating and working with my hands are inextricably linked to my mental health and the richness of my time on this planet. I believe in the healing power of creativity, in amplifying the work of women, and in the importance of conscientious consumerism.
Process
Katie Kismet designs are handcrafted using a variety of glass types and techniques and kiln-fired to over 1500 degrees. The shape of the glass, the way it's assembled, and how it's fired all affect the outcome, and there are countless ways to play with those variables. Most designs require multiple firings with refining between each. From the first cut to the finishing touches, many Katie Kismet styles take upwards of 20 hours to create.