Photo: Mike Sommer
While most of us take care not to break glass, artist Simon Berger has made a career out of doing just that. By carefully hammering pieces of glass, he uses this fragile material like a sheet of paper for his incredibly life-like portraits.
Berger began using this technique in 2016 and, over the years, has perfected his ability to harness the spidering fractures of glass to suit his needs. Using safety glass and a hammer, he’s been able to revolutionize the way we think about portraiture. And while his glass portraits are exceptional on their own, he’s begun pushing himself even further in recent years.
By grouping multiple glass panes and spreading the portraits across them, Berger’s work has taken on new life. In one installation, artfully placed glass cubes provide the canvas for a three-dimensional portrait of a lion. In another, multiple portraits are mixed with skulls in a commentary on the cycle of life.
As he continues to refine his art, Berger hopes to show people the endless artistic possibilities that glass provides and that the medium isn’t strictly for sculptural work.
“Using glass as my primary material has allowed me to combine using force to create an artwork while exploring a material whose potential has not been exhausted yet,” he tells My Modern Met. “Glass has a century-long history of being used in art, but its presence in contemporary art is continuously developing.
“Broken glass usually has a negative connotation, and through my art, I hope to inspire people to look past first impressions and discover new fascinating aspects.”
The artist adds, “The interplay of transparency and opacity of the material allows for ways of looking and seeing, and the manifold and unexhausted potential that I still can discover is what drives me to continue working with glass.”
Scroll down to see more of Berger’s fascinating glass art, and follow him on Instagram to keep up with his work.
Artist Simon Berger works with glass to create realistic portraits.
Photo: Laura Scatena
Photo: Mike Sommer
Photo: Mike Sommer
Using a hammer, he carefully cracks the glass as a way to “draw” his portraits.
Photo: Oliver Kummerli
Photo: Francesco Allegretto
After nearly a decade of experimentation, he’s also begun creating three-dimensional installations.
Photo: Francesco Allegretto
Photo: Francesco Allegretto
Photo: Laura Scatena
Simon Berger: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Simon Berger.
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