Neil Duman was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1955. Since early in his
childhood, Neil has shown a propensity toward creating art. In 1973,
he was accepted into the Maryland Institute of Fine Arts in
Baltimore where he began his studies in Jewelry Design. In 1975, he transferred to Virginia Commonwealth University, VCU) in
Richmond, Virginia to enter their expanded program in Jewelry
Design.
It was while at VCU that his advisor, artist Kent Ipsen, introduced
him to the art of glass working. What was initially a suggestion as
an interesting class to fill his schedule has developed into his
artistic ambition. As Neil stated, "After working in almost
every other material, I finally found what I was looking for."
Neil went on to finish his undergraduate in metal and glass. He
continued exploring the material during a year of graduate study at VCU.
Neil opened his first independent studio in 1978."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 on Neil Duman, writer
Jill Melichar stated that
"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 vibrant 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 compilation of several traditional and modern
methods. His artwork has been described as graceful abstract shapes
of highly creative designs. Art critic Carol Rand-Hudson stated,
"Neil Duman's free-blown hollow-ware vases are 20'th 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 to the constant evolution
and development of new ideas in his art forms. His art is widely
recognized for its unique style and design. Neil's art is exhibited
in museums, such as the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, as
well as many major shows nationally. Corporate and private
collectors purchase Neil Duman's work internationally and throughout
the United States. Neil has recently moved to a new studio in
Richmond where he still resides with his two daughters.
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