Glassblowers of The Maldives

Can you give us a quick intro about yourself and your role on the island?

My name is Linda, and I work in the glass studio here at Soneva. We get all the used clear glass from the islands to create new beautiful products and artworks that you can come and see us make and buy in the shop.

Tell us more about the Glassblowing Studio, what role it plays in the resort?

The glass studio is an amazing example of Waste to Wealth. Here, you can visit us and see for yourself how we take something that is considered waste and create new unique glasses, vases, cloches and artwork. We make juice glasses used in the breakfast area, water glasses for Fresh in the Garden. Every single piece is unique and to be sure we made it here on sight you can always check the bottom of the glass and if you find the Soneva sun, you know we’ve made it here in the studio.

And what role does it play in The Maldives?

We are the first and only glass studio in The Maldives and a great example of Eva and Sonu’s vision of how to give new life to something others consider waste.

Can you tell us a little more about your colleagues?

We are a very small team consisting of only four people. My colleagues are a creative set of people from around the world including one local who is our sales coordinator.

And what about the visiting artist Soneva Fushi has in residence currently?

Janusz Posniak, a contestant from the first series of Blown Away came to Soneva Fushi recently to create his vision that ended up in a beautiful collection of work that is currently being exhibited in our gallery. He is very talented at cne work, which is a technique that takes a lot of skill. His specialty is a technique called retichello, where lines of cane crisscross and create a fine net with tiny bubbles inside every window.

What is the typical day to day life of the Soneva Fushi Glass Team?

A day in the Glassycle varies a lot. Some days it’s only us in the studio, making our own line of products for Soneva, Guests are always welcome to come in and watch the making and asking questions. Other days are booked with lessons for guests of all ages. Kids making sand casting objects or little glass sculptures to their grandparents blowing their very first drinking glass. And everything made in the studio is their own creation and a great memory of Soneva to take home.

And what project would you love to work on in the future?

I would love to make my own body of work from my experience and the new skills I have acquired here at Soneva. Ideas from working in the studio and having visiting artists working with us, walking on the beach, observing all the talented people working in their own field and experiencing this place. I hope to be able to tell my story of this place through glass and have my own exhibition.