Guy Hepner Gallery

Dylan Martinez Cool Breeze w/ droplets For Sale

Dylan Martinez
Dylan Martinez - Cool Breeze w/ droplets, Glass Sculptures - Hot Sculpted, Sandblasted, Acid Etched

Cool Breeze w/ droplets

Glass Sculptures - Hot Sculpted, Sandblasted, Acid Etched

Approximate Size of Balloon: L: 4-5" W: 3-3.5" H: 3-3.5"

About this work

Dylan Martinez has established himself as one of the most technically accomplished glass artists working today, bringing a distinctly contemporary sensibility to a medium rooted in centuries-old craft traditions. His work occupies a compelling space between fine art and sculptural virtuosity, earning recognition from collectors who appreciate both conceptual depth and exceptional material command. *Cool Breeze w/ droplets* exemplifies Martinez's celebrated balloon series, in which he transforms molten glass into forms that appear impossibly delicate and impermanent. The work undergoes an intensive multi-stage process—hot sculpted to achieve its organic, inflated form, then sandblasted and acid etched to create the distinctive matte surface that defines Martinez's aesthetic. This labor-intensive technique produces a tactile quality that belies the material's inherent fragility, inviting viewers to reconsider their assumptions about glass as a medium. The "droplets" element introduces a subtle narrative tension, suggesting condensation or perhaps tears on the balloon's surface—a poetic meditation on transience and the precarious nature of joy. Martinez's balloons have resonated strongly with collectors precisely because they balance childhood nostalgia against material permanence, capturing a moment typically fleeting in a form that endures. At approximately four to five inches in length, this intimate scale encourages close looking and personal engagement, making it well-suited for both dedicated collections and as an entry point into Martinez's increasingly sought-after body of work. Each piece is individually crafted, ensuring subtle variations that underscore the handmade nature of the artist's practice. For acquisition inquiries regarding this work by Dylan Martinez, please contact Guy Hepner.

Price on Application

Sell or Consign

Edition & Provenance

Medium
Glass Sculptures - Hot Sculpted, Sandblasted, Acid Etched

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About the Water Balloons Series

Dylan Martinez makes objects so convincing that people reach out to touch them before realizing what they're looking at. The Water Balloons series operates from the same place, but with color.

Each balloon is hand-sculpted from hot glass then sandblasted and acid etched, a process that takes the surface from raw glass to something that genuinely reads as latex stretched thin over water. The weight looks real. The tied neck looks real. Some have condensation droplets on the outside.

Works are available as individual pieces or in curated trios and groups. The groupings work well together, both in terms of color and scale.

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Cool Breeze w/ droplets

About Dylan Martinez

Dylan Martinez is a contemporary glass artist based Washington State, USA. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Glass from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, where he studied broad field science with a minor in outdoor education. His path to glass began as a college elective that quickly became a lifelong pursuit.

Martinez works entirely in hot glass, hand-sculpting each piece without molds or casting. His practice centers on perception and illusion, drawing on the technique of Trompe L'oeil to create works that challenge what the eye believes to be true. He is best known for his water bag sculptures, objects that are indistinguishable from plastic bags filled with water, made entirely from molten glass shaped between 650 and 1150 degrees. The work is animated by his own experience of red-green colorblindness, which has given him a lifelong interest in how perception shapes reality.

He has trained with master glassmakers across the United States and completed a residency with Venetian glass masters in Murano, Italy. His most recent series introduces color for the first time in years, with sculptural works referencing water balloons and Pac-Man imagery that signal a move toward pop art territory.

Martinez's work is held in the Imagine Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida and the Kelime Müzesi in Ankara, Turkey, among other public and private collections. He has exhibited across the US, Italy, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Taiwan, and has been featured in Interior Design Magazine, American Craft Magazine, Elle Decoration, Aesthetica, and Colossal.

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