Raphaël Barrois: shaping light in glass

He continued his technical training at CERFAV (the European Centre for Research and Training in Glass Arts) in Vannes-le-Châtel, where he obtained a CAP in glass decoration, followed by a Brevet des Métiers d’Art. Then came the need for a change of scenery. Having completed a course of study that he considered highly rational, Raphaël turned to art schools, first the EESAB in Rennes, where he earned his DNAP, and then the Villa Arson in Nice, from which he graduated with a DNSEP in 2018.

During those years, he made a point of keeping his distance from glass. He explored other avenues, such as painting, sculpture, video and repurposed objects, and cultivated what he calls ‘the intelligence of the hand’ – that union of gesture and thought. The return to glass came naturally. Among his final-year pieces was a puddle of water frozen in glass. The material of his childhood had once again become his medium, this time by choice.

Everything stems from the material and leads back to light. Relief, thickness and colour all alter the way daylight passes through a sheet of glass. When placed in a space, the piece shimmers as the hours pass, changing with the seasons and capturing and reflecting light in different ways.

Raphaël speaks of a living material. When heated to certain temperatures, glass shifts, softens and becomes dense and malleable before solidifying whilst retaining the imprint of its transformation. This ability to receive and transform light lies at the heart of his work.

From his technical training, he has inherited a taste for constraints; today, he pushes these boundaries to explore the limits of the material. Experimentation sets the pace of his days. In the studio, he amasses a collection of samples — textures varying in temperature, thickness, and colour — which form the basis of every discussion with interior architects and decorators.

He accepts and is learning to manage the element of the unexpected: the more he experiments, the better he understands where chance might arise. A piece created several months apart may have a unique nuance. This variation is not sought for its own sake; it contributes to striking a balance between mastering the process and embracing the uniqueness of the material.

Innovation is part of the craft. New tools and processes, particularly digital ones, are gradually being integrated into traditional glassworking techniques whenever they help to expand the range of possible forms and materials.

Interior architects and designers approach Raphaël after discovering his work, and the conversation centres on the space, the material and the light. Raphaël is also keen to understand how his pieces will be used day in, day out. He seeks the right balance between the project’s intention, the occupant’s use of the space and his own artistic exploration.

At Place du Panthéon in Paris, Rudy Guénaire made glass the central feature of an apartment overlooking the zinc rooftops. Upon entering, a vestibule made of crafted glass evokes rippling water, criss-crossed by bluish reflections that change as the day progresses. In the bedroom, large sliding doors showcase a mineral aesthetic, with handcrafted panels set within a stainless steel inlay designed by the architect. An architect fascinated by glass and clients familiar with the material: Raphaël finds great creative freedom here.

In 2025, Raphaël Barrois presented his work for the first time at Révélations, the international biennial of arts and crafts, beneath the glass roof of the Grand Palais. The experience proved invaluable. There, he met other glass artists, each with their own approach to the material, and came to appreciate the richness of these peer-to-peer exchanges. Meeting an audience from all over the world did the rest.

The biennial also opened up new projects abroad for him. It was there that he met the team of Luis Laplace, a Paris-based Argentine architect, with whom he subsequently developed a project involving bespoke glass panels. Other commissions followed in settings where discretion was part of the brief. In these settings, where each material complements the others, his contribution is valued, thanks to the trust of the interior architects.

Once a piece leaves the workshop, it no longer belongs to him. He scrutinises every facet of it while it takes shape in his hands. Once installed, it finds its permanent home. On site, his gaze remains that of a researcher: wherever the light falls, he is already considering how it could be improved.

Passing on knowledge is more important to him than his own career path. He takes on interns and responds to people on Instagram who wish to pursue careers in design and glasswork. He provides initial advice on schools and career paths, keen to dispel the clichéd image of the designer isolated in his studio.

A new chapter is now taking shape. Alongside interior design projects, Raphaël is working on his first furniture collection. Tables combine thick, textured, coloured glass tops with sculptural wooden legs, some of which feature surfaces treated using a Japanese charred wood technique.

In these pieces, the material is no longer merely a response to a specific space or commission; it is the starting point for the form itself. Interior architecture, furniture, and standalone pieces thus become different scales of the same creative exploration.

“I develop a language based on the material. It may take the form of an architectural element, a piece of furniture, or a standalone piece, but the exploration remains the same: understanding how glass transforms light.” ’