Rashan Omari

Artist Bio:

Rashan Omari Jones is a Borosilicate Lampworker living in Albuquerque, NM. And for the last decade, his company, Jones Art Glass has been creating handcrafted, mouthblown pieces of glass. A lifelong passion was found in the Spring of 2001 after an apprenticeship opportunity left him hopelessly addicted to molten glass. Inspired by beautiful natural surroundings, in Albuquerque, NM, his work truly captures the fire and spirit of the southwestern high desert. Organic colors and shapes are hallmarks of his natural style. In 2008 he opened the first of its kind, hands-on, elementary school glass education classes at Manzano Day School in Albuquerque, NM and in 2011 opened his first solo studio, High Desert Flameworks. Currently, he is working as lead artisan and Exec Director at High Desert Creative Arts a youth, multi-medium arts space. Dedicated to creating and sustaining hands-on arts education in New Mexico.


Artist statement:

In 2003, I had my first experience with Beads of Courage (BOC). I was introduced to the brilliant and dynamic powerhouse that is Jean Baruch. She was so focused and excited, the vibe was contagious and I immediately became a huge supporter of BOC and its mission. Over the years, I’ve been honored to create and champion the cause, hosting events and always trying to do my part on the torch to keep the cause moving forward. I’ve been honored to hold a place in their Bead Artist Hall of Fame and I was overjoyed when asked to create 20yr commemorative pieces. Each pendant is formed using 24kt gold and fine silver, vaporized or “fumed” onto the molten glass. Then I used clear dots to trap the gases in the pendant. Those dots are the colors you see vibrantly shining in the glass. Each piece has exactly 20 dots to celebrate 20yrs of hard work and amazing results achieved by BOC.