2026 London Craft Week

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2013 Ode To Intuición Series

Series of 60 non-functional/ sculptural vessels made of repurposed found and discarded blown glass, embellished by using heritage cutting techniques. This was Bolaños-Durman's graduation project from her Masters Degree from Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh, UK in 2013. The primary theme within my creative process is the exploration of preciousness and how intuitive play jumpstarts the creation of new ideas within the studio practice. Preciousness is not only the value or quality of the materials themselves but more so the journey of transformation they represent. I find myself favoring and treasuring objects that act as storytellers and constitute experiences that are a link to emotional connections. Therefore, it is essential for the creative process to give the artwork the same significance, disregarding where it came from or how it was constructed. I want to create raw pieces that are put together sensibly through the joyfulness of play, explore the different materials to create new meaning and invite the viewer to become part of the journey. Photography by Shannon Tofts

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2016 Solace Collection

Series of vessels of remembrance. When developing this idea, I started to look into Lachrymatories: the tiny glass or terracotta vessels, found Roman and late Greek tombs. It is believed that these vessels were used to collect tears when mourning a love one. I find this as a very symbolic and endearing concept to honour the deceased. Solace Collection: series of bespoke objects- by repurposing found glass and blown pieces transformed and embellished through heritage cutting techniques to create an objet d’art. Each embodies and pays homage to special ideas or souls in our lives. Dimensions: 39 x 18 cm, 40 x 18 cm & 41 x 17 cm approx.

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2017 Made Up Museum of Artefacts

Series of 19 of the headdresses from made-up civilizations Found & Blown Glass with cutting One of a Kind / Hand Made Photography: Shannon Tofts 2016. Edinburgh The Made-Up Museum of Artefacts Series was inspired by precious heritage objects from historical civilizations, their craftsmanship and cultural legacy. This subject has captivated my imagination and motivated me to appropriate the theme and develop a poetic juxtaposition of the different ideas to construct made-up precious objects through exploratory play. Each object from the series depicts the stories of distant worlds that are not only based on knowledge but more so on imagination.

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2019 Wild Flowers

Scotland-based, Costa Rica-born artist, Juli Bolaños-Durman, presents her latest collaboration with independent Edinburgh-based fragrance brand, Jorum Studio. The project will debuted at the exhibition ‘Re.Use, Re.Think, Re.Imagine’ at Make Hauser & Wirth Somerset, which opened on 18 October, 2019. Juli was invited to respond to Jorum Studio’s latest collection, ‘Progressive Botany Vol. 1’. Prompted by rich olfactory studies, a vivid layering of the textures and the artist’s Latin American heritage, the exploration was dynamic and involved all of the five senses. The resulting 21 sculptures embody the rich, raw and bountiful nature of wild flowers and our natural environment. They are brought to life by deconstructing discarded glass, reconfiguring the elements through play and embellishing them with decadent layers of hand-cut details. Bolaños-Durman is known for revitalising waste material by applying various heritage cold-working processes. Her practice is driven by a genuine concern for the amount of rubbish we produce as consumers. As a maker working with a material that can be repaired, this project represents an opportunity to demonstrate both the traditional skills and artistic vision required to breathe new life into these discarded objects. In the end, these objets d'art personify a story of potential. ‘Through my work I want to invite the audience to delve into a magical world of second chances, where waste material is the starting point. I’m interested in how this visceral bond between the maker and the material permeates the creative process, guiding it to become something new. Furthermore, these objects honour the instinctual need to create something with our hands, and how this act of making connects us to our humanity, our forefathers/foremothers and the future’. Juli’s unique perspective can be easily linked to the core of her artistic statement: ‘I want to create raw pieces that are put together intuitively through the joyfulness of play, by exploring different materials and ideas to challenge the boundaries of art and its meaning’.

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2019-2016 A Humming Bird, a May Beetle and three Wild Flowers

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2021 The Isles of Reclaimed Wonderment Series

Juli Bolaños-Durman collaborated with Studio Walac to⁠ create ‘The Isles of Reclaimed Wonderment’, a new series of 12 one-of-a-kind lighting sculptures. ⁠ ⁠ “The Isles of Reclaimed Wonderment series springs from a desire to decorate our homes with beautiful and joyful objects.”⁠ The collection invites audiences to wander into a world of fantasy – a departure from the usual representations of lighting. The Isles of Reclaimed⁠ Wonderment come to life using locally found glass that has been collected, rescued and gifted over the years, alongside graphic wood cutouts.⁠ ⁠ The French and Costa Rican duo have worked together to assemble these pieces, transforming waste material into fantastical and functional pieces. Composed of piled glass towers, bottle-buildings and fluted loops, reminiscent of fun fairs and abstract scientific devices, each piece has a unique⁠ topological personality.⁠ ⁠ “Stepping into her studio was like stepping into a candy and jewellery store all at once. Her focus on rescuing and highlighting the world’s lost and fallen beauties is incredibly fascinating. While our work met on a playful angle, she definitely shed some colours and light on my darkness, for the better.”⁠ ~ Walac on Bolaños-Durman⁠ ⁠ “When I see her work, I am energised. Her approach to design⁠ is fresh and authentic and makes everyday furniture fun and⁠ unexpected.” ⁠ ~ Bolaños-Durman on Walac⁠

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2023 Spirited Waste

Ongoing series of Decorative Objects. One of a Kind / Made by Hand Glass collected from the community, embellished with decadent Hand-Cutting Techniques. Year of Production: 2023 Edinburgh, UK. The beauty of waste material being reimagined during a play session, a purposeful process focusing on approaching the discarded materials from our community's consumption with compassion and patience instead of contempt for what these represent. By giving breathing space to waste material, these have a chance to become anew with lots of capability for charm and depth. The ultimate purpose is to invite a shift in our perception on the potential of the waste and how we can reimagine it into something of beauty. Furthermore, this body of work materialises into a series of optimistic archeological finds off our times, with rhythmic hand-cut and whimsical mark making to create unique objects. This methodology is a poetic act of rebellion, a challenge to our current consumer habits and the status quo; now more poignant than ever. By going back to basics and making something with our hands like our ancestors did to survive. By connecting to this visceral bond between the maker/material and how this playful methodology is a tool to foster joy; a powerful life-force that can only be nurtured within ourselves.

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2026 Wee Birds, Pajaritos

‘Wee Birds – Pajaritos’ is a series of 11 tropical birds with a Scottish accent, even with the lost in translation element included. Both with a very strong cultural identity and heritage traditions; these come together to create something that otherwise would not have been possible. I see it as sort of a self portrait and a tribute to the ever-evolving cross-cultural pollination of humanity.

As a Costa Rican artist based in Scotland for 15 years now, I am driven by the use of locally foraged waste materials, imprinted by the lush surroundings of my childhood on a mango farm. My methodology is rooted in gumption, play and creative problem-solving, reimagining these materials into mythical creatures. This project serves as a vehicle to share the silent stories held within these objects. By spotlighting the smallest of creatures, the series offers a joyful antidote to despair during this current ecological crisis we are facing, inviting viewers to see potential in the waste around them and to fight for it; inevitably fighting for us.

The inspiration for this project is rooted in the belief that all materials are sentient, challenging the complete disregard usually reserved for waste. This is perfectly captured by the excerpt from Yuval Harari’s book Sapiens: "Non-human entities do not exist merely to provide for the needs of man. Nor are they all-powerful gods who run the world as they wish." My work emphasises our consumption habits, our connection to the planet, and human's intrinsic need for beauty.

For the past 10 years, my practice has been known for revitalising waste material by applying endangered heritage cold-working processes. My practice is driven by a genuine concern for the amount of rubbish we produce as consumers. As a maker working with a material that can be repaired, this project represents an opportunity to demonstrate both the traditional skills and artistic vision required to breathe new life into these discarded objects. In the end, these objets d'art personify a story of potential.

Through my work I want to invite the audience to delve into a magical world of second chances, where waste material is the starting point. I’m interested in how this visceral bond between the maker, material and culture permeate the creative process, guiding it to become something anew that will withstand time. Furthermore, these objects honour the instinctual need to create something with our hands and how this act of making connects us to our humanity, our forefathers/foremothers and the future.

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