Dylan Martinez

Dylan Martinez is a contemporary glass artist known for his hyperrealistic sculptural illusions. He earned his Master of Fine Arts in Glass from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, and has trained with master craftsmen both in the U.S. and abroad. His work is exhibited internationally and held in prestigious public and private collections, including the Imagine Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida; Kelime Müzesi in Ankara, Turkey; and the private collection of Karen and Robert Duncan in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Martinez challenges human perception through his innovative manipulation of glass, light, and space. His renowned water bag sculptures deceive the eye, appearing as fluid-filled plastic bags, while his latest series explores pop art through vibrant, sculpted glass water balloons and Pac-Man-inspired ghosts. His work has been featured in publications such as Colossal, Elle Decoration, American Craft Magazine, and Interior Design Magazine.

Dylan designs and handcrafts each piece in his Bingen, Washington, studio, continuously pushing the boundaries of traditional glassmaking to create strikingly immersive experiences.

I am a sculptor exploring the tension between reality and illusion through meticulously crafted glass sculptures. By mimicking fragile, ephemeral objects—such as water balloons and plastic bags filled with water—my work challenges the viewer’s perception of materiality. Glass, a medium that is both hard and solid yet inherently delicate, serves as a paradox, amplifying the contrast between what appears temporary and what is, in fact, permanent.

Through subtle distortions and hyperrealistic detail, my sculptures evoke visceral reactions, prompting viewers to question their own assumptions about weight, texture, and fragility. The interplay between the familiar and the unexpected creates a space for contemplation—inviting curiosity while simultaneously disrupting expectations. By capturing objects often associated with childhood and fleeting moments, my work taps into a sense of nostalgia, blurring the line between memory and material reality. In doing so, it offers an open-ended dialogue on perception, impermanence, and the ever-shifting boundaries between what we believe to be real and what is merely an illusion.