An Interview with Monica Guggisberg & Philip Baldwin by Francisco Torres

Origins: A Life Drawn to Glass

Francisco Torres: What led you to specialise in glass? Was it the act of shaping the material yourself that attracted you?

Monica Guggisberg: Glass is incredibly captivating. Philip and I met in Sweden, where we both went to learn glassblowing, that’s where our collaboration began. At first, we created functional design pieces for our own studio production, and gradually we made connections with Rosenthal, Steuben and Venini.
Later, we expanded beyond functional glass. Our work evolved into limited editions and unique pieces, creations that became a way for us to express our view of the world.

Philip Baldwin: It’s worth mentioning we didn’t have a traditional arts background. Monica had much more experience than I did, she had completed an apprenticeship in lampworking. I studied political science and history, with no connection to craft. I discovered this world at 32. Our journey has been a series of spontaneous surprises.

Craftsmanship and Expertise

FT: In craftsmanship, there is this idea of creating your own work (like a carpenter or cabinetmaker) rather than sending designs elsewhere.

MG: That helped us develop genuine expertise. I remember presenting a project to Venini, and Philip explained the making process directly to the furnace team.

FT: You’ve collaborated with Venini, Rosenthal, and Nouvel (Italian, German and Mexican brands). What is it like working with a universal material in such diverse cultural contexts?

PB: We also worked with Steuben, the American equivalent of Baccarat. Despite cultural differences, these houses share many similarities. Although industrial, they remain artisanal. Glass is such a dominant material that it imposes its own rules everywhere. That’s the charm of our profession: we can work with glassmakers worldwide and always understand each other, like speaking Latin in the Middle Ages.

Symbiosis: Two People, One Artist

"We don’t always agree, but we work to find symbiosis.” – MG

FT: In Charleroi, you are featured in the exhibition Symbiosis: Glass in Duo. Does this term define you?

MG: We don’t always agree, but we work to find symbiosis.

PB: You have to look at the result through the process.

FT: How are your roles divided?

PB: Our workshop in Wales shows this well. There was no architect, just two young workers and a local contractor. Everything was drawn spontaneously, often on the back of an envelope. But if a proper drawing is needed, Monica handles it.

MG: Philip writes very well, but drawings and plans are my area. We often sketch ideas on a napkin during lunch. Our process is very iterative, shaping material directly, adjusting, refining.

PB: Collaboration defines everything we do.

Making, Carving and Passing on Knowledge

FT: How does work unfold in the workshop? Do you blow and carve the pieces together?

MG: Today, our assistants mostly handle the carving. We teach them our skills. We learned Italian-style carving, battuto, through Lino Tagliapietra, who suggested we train in Murano with cutting master Paolo Ferro. At the time, battuto patterns were limited, but we innovated extensively.

Nomadic Lives, Moving Ideas

FT: You have lived in Nonfoux, Paris, and now Wales. How has each context influenced your creations?

MG: Since moving to Wales, we’ve developed large thematic installations, Canterbury Cathedral, St Mary’s in Edinburgh, Walking in the Void in Ebeltoft. These site-specific works have become a tool for storytelling.

PB: Sweden was training; Switzerland was high-level craft and design; Paris was sculptural work. Wales is the chapter where all the tools and ideas came together to launch large-scale projects.

The Baldwin Guggisberg School

“About 80% of our assistants are still in the glass field today.” – MG

FT: You have trained many collaborators. After 45 years, does a “Baldwin Guggisberg School” exist?

MG: About 80% of our assistants remain in the glass field, that already says something. They’ve embraced collaboration, respect, and the techniques they learned with us.

PB: Our methodology is based on example. Our teaching is rigorous and traditional.

MG: It dates back to Sweden, learning under Wilke Adolfsson, generous, disciplined, inspiring.

Innovation, Technology and Tradition

FT: What is your relationship with new technologies such as artificial intelligence or digital printing?

MG: It’s fascinating and intriguing, but we’re not interested in creating pieces with AI. We like working directly with the material, even though we often use 3D skills in the studio.

PB: I agree. But take the Loon project made with Nouvel, one of my favourite industrial works. It could not exist without advanced technology: the mould, the blowing method. In craftsmanship, technology is always present, even in our small workshop.

MG: New technologies allow new forms of glass expression, which is positive.

PB: I’m amazed by the new possibilities while remaining true to a craft that is, in a sense, almost archaic.

Archives, Legacy and the Future

FT: Do you think about how your work will be preserved? Are you creating an archive?

MG: Yes, and we’ve been discussing it for two years. We’re in touch with Le Stanze del Vetro and the Cini Foundation in Venice. They will take our archives, starting with materials related to our work in Italy and Venice.

PB: The archives (drawings, documentation, books, articles) will likely go to the Cini Foundation on San Giorgio Island. It’s a natural fit, given our work in Venice and our approach to battuto. The second part concerns our artistic inventory. Some pieces may go to museums during our lifetime; the rest will pass to our children.

Upcoming Projects

FT: What projects are you currently working on?

MG: Exhibitions in Geneva and Stockholm next year; a show at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art in Indiana from August to November; and in 2026, a major exhibition at the Sarasota Museum of Art in Florida.

PB: The next two years are already full. The US remains our most important market, that’s where the major collectors are.

FT: Before that, We will have the pleasure of seeing each other in Switzerland.

PB: And we must mention how proud we are of Michael Kramer, who worked with us forty years ago.
We often say: “We’re small, but some of our former assistants have become very successful.”