Borosilicate
Glass Artist
Never frown upon failure. Learn from the failure and view it as a growing opportunity to succeed. Failure is a success.
My name is Tabba Eiken, owner and glass artist at Tab Custom Glass in Kansas City, MO. TCG was established in 2015. I want to spread the love through my artwork and to inspire many! I have always loved the arts and appreciate the simplicity, complexity, intricacy, and overall meaning in an artists’ perspective. I fell in love with glass when I was introduced to glassblowing in June 2012. This art medium has grown to be my ultimate passion over many years of graphite drawing and guitar picking. There was a seize in my glassblowing experience from May 2013 to November 2014. I ended up moving to California in May 2013 with the intent of finishing school in microbiology or MBA in Finance, which never happened. Glass grabbed my attention over earning a degree.
Unfortunately, I was not able to create glass art due to not having all the necessary equipment or a studio to go to. A work space was offered in California… But I couldn’t take the offer. There was a horrific scenario foreseen in burning down someone’s million-dollar home. Meanwhile, I began to invest into equipment; beginner’s torch, glass in small orders, tools, gas equipment, and a cheap ceramic kiln. I started with a Nortel Red Max. I’ve been able to grow and expand in my equipment since I returned to Kansas City. I presently melt with a GTT Phantom and have upgraded from my beaten up ceramic kiln to an actual glass kiln (Paragon BlueBird XL).
There were many reasons for returning to my hometown but only two really sold me to do so; building an actual glass art studio and my family. Not to mention, California is much pricier than Missouri is. I have many thanks to my father, Mark, for helping me get back home and making my dream come true. I finally found my purpose and am exposed to a range of opportunity to work with. My first studio was completed in November 2014, thanks to my father. Alas, Tab Custom Glass was established on January 1st, 2015 and is registered in Missouri. The journey has begun.
The chemistry and physics of glass art is beyond intriguing and can be challenging to work with at times. Borosilicate (boro) glass is the glass I work with, which is made from two main compounds: boron trioxide and silica glass. Boro glass (33 COE) is made into glass beer bottles, glass cookware for your lovely lasagna, medical equipment, and into other resources. Borosilicate glass is completely different from soft glass. Borosilicate glass withstands so much more heat than soft glass. The coefficient in expansion (COE) and compatibilities in boro glass struck my attention. Not to mention the beautiful outcome of what inorganic compounds (gold and silver) can do with borosilicate glass, which is known as fumed glass. Fumed glass displays all sorts of colors that can create a rainbow if done correctly. There are endless ways to work with glass and multiple concepts that I am eager to learn.
There are multiple projects and innovative ideas to works towards. Sculpting glass is my favorite to create on the torch. Marbles will be the second. There are endless opportunities in art. The next steps are to invest in a sandblaster and decent cold working equipment. Then, I’ll be able to etch my own images into my glass work and create faceted marbles.
The amount of support I receive from friends, family, and my customers has been phenomenal. Not to mention, the handful of artists that have deeply inspired me with their work and story. I’ve become inspired and motivated to keep growing as an artist.