NEIL DUMAN        

Neil Duman was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1955. Since early childhood, he has shown a propensity toward creating beautiful art. After attending the I.C. Norcom High School for artistically inclined students, Neil was accepted into the Maryland Institute of  Fine Arts in 1973 where he began his studies in Jewelry Design. 

In 1975, he transferred to Virginia Commonwealth University (“VCU”) to enter their expanding program in Jewelry Design. While at VCU, his advisor and artist Kent Ipsen, introduced him to the art of glasswork. Initially it was an interesting class to fill his  schedule but developed into his artistic ambition and passion. Neil states, “After working in almost every other material, I finally found what I was looking for.” Neil went on to finish his undergraduate studies in metal and glass. He continued to explore the material during a year of graduate study at VCU and ever since then. 

In the following year of 1978, Neil opened his first independent studio. “I love the liquid state of glass, the way it can be transformed into almost anything I can imagine. The glowing hot mass, flowing and moving around and within my tools, has never bored me. “  In an article featuring Neil Duman, art critic Jill Melichar stated, “ Duman’s glass sculptures play with the luminescence of light…his pieces are gracefully abstract swirls that create a dance of  light careening against itself. He emphasizes their organic quality by adding elegantly sparse splashes of color.” 

Neil’s creations go beyond the symmetrical forms so often seen in glass. A constant in his work is his willingness to explore his medium by using different techniques and styles. Neil’s art is usually a composition of several methods. His artwork has been described as graceful abstract shapes of a highly creative design. Art critic Carol Rand-Hudson stated when describing Neil’s work in the late 1980’s,   “Neil Duman’s free from hollow-ware vases are 20th century forms. Most are characterized by arabesques, a kind of drawing in space with molten glass that reminds one of the gestural brushwork of abstract expressionism.”

 Neil dedicates himself today to the constant evolution and development of new ideas in his artwork just as he has done during his entire career. Neil’s art is widely recognized for its unique style and design. His art is exhibited in museums as well as many major national shows. Both corporate and private collectors purchase Neil Duman’s work. It is displayed internationally and throughout the United States. Neil’s studio is in Waynesboro, VA.