With a background in psychology, Texas glass sculptor Malina Cipleu is drawn to how visual environments influence our internal state: how they can ground us and energize us. Or, offer quiet moments of reflection.
Artist: Born and raised in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Cipleu moved to the United States in 1999. After living in a few different states, she and her family settled in Austin, TX.
In 2012, Cipleu, who earned a BA in psychology in Romania, later began studying kiln-formed glass.
Company/studio: Malina Cipleu Art, based in Austin, started in 2013. Her work studio is in her backyard. Cipleu also has a showing studio at Canopy, a community of more than 50 artists.
In the beginning: Cipleu first stumbled into glass fusing at her kids’ elementary school. The art teacher invited the parent volunteers to a glass night, and she ended up making a few pendants, just playing with colorful pieces of glass, not totally sure what she was doing.
“When I saw them after they’d been fired in the kiln, I was hooked,” said Cipleu. The way heat transformed everything was pure magic.”
That little spark of curiosity turned into something bigger. Soon she was signing up for every kiln-formed glass class she could find.
“I just wanted to keep learning and see what else the glass — and the heat — could do,” she added.
Art & materials: Wall art, sculptural work and art installations made mostly in kiln-formed glass ($400 to $25,000 for large installations).
Process: This technique employs the heat of the kiln to melt and bond pieces of glass together. Depending on the temperature and timing, glass can be fully melted for a smooth finish or just softened to maintain texture and dimension.
“It’s like painting or sculpting with glass,” said Cipleu. “Only the kiln is your brush or chisel, and heat is the magic that brings everything together.”
Favorite or must-have tools: “Oh! It’s hard to name just a few,” said Cipleu. “But I couldn’t do my work without a kiln, a glass cutter and glass breaking pliers.”
Inspirations: Organic structures, including branching systems, blooming forms, and flowing rhythms, that echo both the natural world and the architecture of the human body.
“Growing up near the forests of Transylvania, I was surrounded by patterns found in mosses, lichens, roots, and riverbeds,” said Cipleu. “That early closeness to nature still shapes how I work today, especially in the way I interpret growth, connection, and transformation through glass.”
Special commissions:
- Just finished and shipped to Helsinki, Finland, a large commission for the Royal Caribbean cruise ship, “Dreaming with the Stars.” Inspired by organic motifs, the 35 large pieces were water jet cut and fused with glass powders in a kiln.
- For the Dublin Hospital, in Dublin, OH. Based on her series, “Watersouls,” the installation is formed from multiple pieces inspired by the sea. The smooth textured surfaces and blue-green tones reflect the movement and calm of water.
When grouped together, Cipleu said, the pieces seem to drift and flow, like a tide: each one unique but part of a bigger rhythm.
What’s new: Inspired by the legacy of the Wright brothers and Dayton’s rich aviation history, “Windows to Flight” is a 22-foot-long installation composed of abstract, airplane window-like forms.
It captures glimpses of blue skies, drifting white clouds, and vibrant green fields, offering a quiet moment to admire the world from above. It will be installed in the Dayton Convention Center in Ohio later in August.
What’s next:
- Teacher assistant in the“Define, Refine, Delight” class at Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY. Aug. 4-9.
- Participating in a professional glass residency at the Pilchuck School of Glass, Standwood, WA. September.
- East Austin Studio Tour, Austin, TX. November.
Where to see & buy: At Canopy, either during an open Saturday (first Saturday of the month from 1-4 pm), or by appointment. Cipleu is open to commissions after October 2025.
Connect:
- Instagram: malinacipleuglass
- Facebook: malinacipleuart
