A native of Seattle, Washington and daughter of an Auctioneer, Dehanna was surrounded by the art glass of her father’s Tiffany collection and Antique store.  This early exposure to the Art Noveau movement has had a lasting influence on her work.  While studying for a BFA in ceramics and a BA in general art at the University of Washington, Native American artist Marvin Oliver asked her to research glass casting for an upcoming project of his.  She was immediately taken in by the medium and decided to branch out and study blown glass at Pratt Fine Arts Center in Seattle, Washington.

While at Pratt, she was the hot shop coordinator and studio technician while also teaching cast and blown glass.  Although blown glass is the focus of her own designs, she has kept her hands in casting by working with many architects, designers, and artists such a Frank Engelsby, Jill Davis, Ann Gardener, Theresa Batty, and Kevin Spitzer as a consultant and fabricator of glass elements for larger installations.  In the summer of 1996 she had the opportunity to assist artists Paul Marioni and Ann Troutner at the Pilchuck School of Glass in Standwood, WA and was subsequently nominated for the Saxe Scholarship.

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From Dehanna:

“I’m a Glass Minimalist. This term is not descriptive of the work itself as many of my designs are quite ornate; rather, it defines the process.  Glassblowing is an ancient art form.  The tools and techniques available to the modern glass worker vary little from those used by previous generations.  I believe too many glassblowers rely on traditional, complicated techniques to define their work.  My belief is that the concepts should be of more importance than the techniques that created them.  The years involved in learning the skills to master blown glass is a life long commitment, finding the balance between design and perfecting the process is the constant challenge.

One of my first challenges I encountered in glass working was requiring that I work as part of a team.  The communication between the designer, blowers, and assistants is crucial for a piece to reach final form while retaining the integrity of its original concept.  Although, I do design my own lines of finely crafted vases and bowls, I am also excited to assist other artists and architects in the fabrication of glass elements for larger sculptures, installations, and homes.  Overcoming the challenges of translating designs outside my own work into glass has kept me thinking about glass as more than just a vase or bowl, but as a versatile building material that transmits and reflects light.

Glass can be disguised to look like other materials, but not many other materials can look like glass.  I think of glass as a lens to the subconscious.  I endeavor to create objects that stimulate the optic nerves of the brain and uses color as a mood-enhancer.  It’s a simple concept; minimalism.”