Alice Hill is an experienced professional glassblower, who trained and worked in the glass blowing industry in the UK for many years.
Alice is the rock on which Hot Glass Fiji is founded – owner, glassblower and designer, she aspires to get the house tidy one day.
Alex writes things and then badgers people to print what he wrote and not something completely different. He would like to know where he put his keys – they were just here a moment ago.
Pita blows glass, plays rugby, and being immensely tall, occasionally bangs his head on things.
Laisa blows glass, organises everyone brilliantly and sometimes even knows where Alex has put his keys.
Samu is the trainee – he is learning to blow glass, trying not to burn himself and after a couple of months is now looking a bit less like a rabbit caught in headlights.
When she met her husband to be, Alex, in the mid nineties he fecklessly sidetracked her off on a 15 year scuba diving adventure that included stints in Egypt, New Zealand, Fiji, the UK (yes, it was bloody cold) and the Horn of Africa before, realising that Fiji was probably the best place in the entire world to bring up young kids, they headed back to the South Pacific in 2003 and established and ran a successful dive centre on the Coral Coast.
Throughout this time, Alice would get out of the water and back in the glassblowing studio whenever she could, create new pieces and hold small exhibitions.
The stunning colours of the Fiji Islands, the blues of sea and sky, the changing sparkling turquoises of the waters in sandy lagoons, the lush tropical greenery, the vivid colours of fish, birds and flowers and the stunning beauty of the sunsets inspired her work, and it became Alice’s dream to found Fiji’s first Glassblowing studio.
Hot Glass Fiji is the culmination of that dream.
Glass is the ideal medium to catch the stunning light and colours of the tropics, and so of course the beauty of Fiji’s nature is often reflected in her work.
At the same time Fiji’s tradition and culture also feature strongly – local maqimaqi ropes, used for many purposes in Fiji, though perhaps most often seen woven around wooden beams and posts in traditional bures; tapa designs, coconut bark are not only inspirational but also become a part of the work.
Fiji’s glass blowing studio is located along tranquil Sunset Strip in Korotogo, on the Coral Coast, our workshop and gallery is perched on the hillside overlooking the sea.
Walk along the road until you see our sign, and then follow the steps up to the studio and gallery.
Visitors are welcome if just to settle your glass blowing curiosity and to watch Alice and her assistants in action.
Glass blowing is a unique visual experience as the team gather, shape and colour the golden molten glass in a fluid process that is almost dance like in its constant movement.
We have glass for sale in our Studio Gallery and offer glassblowing experiences for those guests who want to give it a go and take home some unique glass hand made by yourselves, under the guidance of Alice.
The Studio is open to the public Tuesday through to Friday 10am till 3pm.
If you would like to visit the studio after hours please email us or call on +679 9093200.
Like us on Facebook for updates, pictures and new projects.
We look forward to seeing you in the studio!
Take the Queens highway towards Nadi, once you reach the round about at Korotogo take the first exit along Sunset Strip.
Once you have passed The Crows Nest we are the next property on the left.
Take the Queens highway towards Suva, once you reach the round about at Korotogo take the second exit along Sunset Strip.
Once you have passed The Crows Nest we are the next property on the left.
Sunset Strip, Korotogo, Fiji
+679 909 3200
Open Tuesday to Friday 10am to 3pm
(or by appointment).
You must be logged in to post a comment.