Michael Ruh: Optical quality of recycled glass

Set Of Four Gota Wine Glasses, hand-blown recycled glass; design and production: The Michael Ruh Studio || Photo: courtesy of The Michael Ruh Studio

Based in London, The Michael Ruh Studio has earned a reputation for producing hand-blown recycled glass of exceptional optical clarity. Already an accomplished sculptor and glassblower, Michael Ruh founded the studio in 2004 and now runs it together with glass artist Natascha Wahl, his wife. With the support of a small team of assistants, the duo transforms recycled glass into refined pieces for high-end luxury brands, architects, interior design agencies, artists and design-conscious audiences looking to express their vision through the medium of glass.

Every product we undertake is made with recycled glass. All our bespoke commissions over 10 years have specialised in recycled glass. We as studio and company ethos are always looking at sustainability – which includes the materials we use and sustaining handmade craft skills.

– The Michael Ruh Studio, for Creative Glass Serbia, 2025

In addition to bespoke commissions, Ruh’s studio also produces collections of tableware, lighting and vases designed for a wider market. These series consist of original pieces that Michael and Natascha often reinterpret or adapt for specific client requests. When they first started out, there were around seven glass studios operating in London. Today, theirs is the only studio in the entire United Kingdom dedicated exclusively to blowing recycled glass – and of optical quality at that. The clear glass they produce is made from 100% recycled postconsumer glass, while their coloured glass is 98% recycled (the remaining 2% are minerals used for colouring).

Precious shards of colour

Optical glass is exceptionally pure and, compared to standard glass, has a much higher refractive index, which makes it far more radiant. It is most commonly used in lenses for binoculars, cameras and microscopes, but what captivated Michael was its clarity and density – qualities enhancing the effect of minerals that give glass its colour. Working with optical glass is also more demanding than working with regular glass. It is literally heavier due to its density, and it requires different approaches to blowing, shaping and heating. At the studio, achieving optical-quality recycled glass involves a relatively straightforward process, although it does require more time and resources, as the glass must be melted at extremely high temperatures for a significantly longer period.

We separate out the coloured glass from the clear glass, and we melt the clear shards in the furnace together with the recycled glass lenses we use. When we melt glass in our furnace for production use, it’s brought up to a high temperature at 1170 Degrees Centigrade so any air bubbles can work their way to the surface and dissipate.

We’ve been saving our coloured glass to melt separately. We’re not sure what the exact resulting colour will look like, but when we do use the coloured glass it will be unique. We are looking for a project that will require us to use lots of glass, like making glass tiles for room dividers, or window treatments. We are thinking of a range of cast glass serving ware and bar ware to make use of our coloured glass. I’ve also got some ideas for a new range of lighting that will utilise the coloured shards we’ve been keeping. Any of your readers out there with some ideas?

– Michael Ruh, for footpatrol.com, 2025

Philosophy of colour

Michael’s other key specialism lies in his use of colour within glass. His sensitivity to colour is remarkably refined.

The colour palette at the studio shifts with each season, shaped by careful observation and a long-standing collaboration with a colour-maker in eastern Germany. For more than twenty years, Michael and Natascha have travelled regularly to Germany to work alongside this Schmelzmeister – a master of glass colour blending. Developing a single hue can take up to 30 days, as it requires expert mixing of precious metals and minerals such as silver, gold and arsenic.

The studio’s colour palette shifts with every season. It is an ongoing story. We never replace all the colours at once. They evolve gradually, shaped by my surroundings and the influences I draw upon to decide what will be the prevalent colours. The combination of things I see and cultural research, driven by design thinking and zeitgeist, define each seasonal palette. It’s emotive.

– Michael Ruh, for Creative Glass Serbia, 2025

Ruh’s dedication to flawless glass colour is also evident in one unusual service his studio offers – a rarity among glass workshops. On the studio’s website, he displays photographs of glass samples in 12 different colours. These are glass discs, seven centimetres in diameter, with a thickness that increases from 2 to 10 millimetres from the centre to the edge. The discs demonstrate how a colour’s hue – amber, for example – changes with the thickness of the glass. The centre of each disc is the lightest, the edge the darkest, with concentric rings in between showing gradual shifts in shade from the palest to the deepest tone.

As you become acquainted with Michael Ruh’s philosophy of glassmaking, it quickly becomes clear that choosing a glass colour is far from straightforward – every subtle nuance must be considered to identify the most desirable hue. For this reason, Michael advises anyone wishing to work with him, or to order a studio piece in a different colour, to purchase one of these discs. This allows studying the colours up close, with ample time to reflect, and select the perfect shade. Postage costs just one pound, and the eight-pound price of the disc is refunded if it is returned. In this way, almost nothing stands in the way of exploring the full spectrum of colours and nuances from the comfort of your own home or office, alone or in company.

The German connection

In Germany, there is also master craftsman Konrad, who produces flawless wooden moulds and tools for the Ruh studio. Their collaboration is so seamless that a simple technical drawing sent by email is enough – and Konrad will soon deliver even the most unusual mould.

Konrad has been making the wooden tools and blow moulds for our workshop for nearly two decades. He lives in the rolling fields and low mountains of northern Bavaria. The surrounding forests provide him with the trees he needs to practise his vocation. His workshop is a former mill. The mill pond is now where the felled logs are stored, submerged to keep them wet. Glass blowing moulds are constantly kept wet, and they are turned from green wood. The mill race was diverted by his father years ago when the property was acquired to power two electric turbines. The turbines supply electricity to the workshop and adjoining home.

– The Michael Ruh Studio, News

Michael Ruh’s strong friendships and loyalty to German artisans date back to his time running a studio in Bonn. This was just one of many addresses he moved between before establishing his studio and family life in London. He grew up in the United States, living in Minnesota, Kansas and Colorado. He first encountered a glass workshop at a fair in Missouri when he was eleven, and was instantly captivated by the material. Yet it was not until his thirties that he had a proper opportunity to engage with glass more closely.

Michael’s tendency to daydream was noticed as early as primary school. He has always drawn and knew he would pursue a creative path. In the 1980s, he studied sculpture at the College of Fine Arts at Drake University in Iowa and at the University of Denver in Colorado. By the 1990s, having moved to Belgium and finally able to enrol in a glassmaking course at the Institute of Arts and Applied Arts (IKA) in Mechelen, he had already travelled extensively, spending time in Spain and Morocco.

Great love at a small art school in northern Belgium

It was in Belgium that Michael first worked with glass and realised that it was the material to which he would dedicate his life. He earned his diploma in 1996, later also obtaining his Fine Arts degree from Drake University.

My first glass object was a small bubble in glass, thick and lumpy, the size of a golf ball. It had no purpose and was unusable – but I had never been prouder.

– Michael Ruh, for Homo Faber

His studies in Mechelen provided far from enough time and equipment to fully master glassblowing. Over the four years, he may have had just six weeks of hands-on practice. As in most European art schools, including those in the UK, the emphasis was on theory, with practical work largely limited to sculpture and lighter glass techniques such as fusing, grinding, polishing and engraving. Nevertheless, it was an important period, during which he forged a lasting connection with glass.

Michael met Natascha Wahl through his drawings, which were exhibited at IKA, where he later worked occasionally as an instructor after moving to Bonn. IKA also ran a summer school in glass art, which was the reason why Natascha came to Mechelen.

I was looking at some of the drawings at the school and thought, ‘Oh, these look just like mine.’ We were drawing similar shapes in a similar way.

– Natascha Wahl, for Cool Escapes / FALKE footprints

Natascha Wahl has exhibited her solo work at numerous exhibitions across Europe, Asia and the United States. She is now Michael Ruh’s creative partner, yet continues to produce exceptionally beautiful independent pieces. Recently, for a highly acclaimed project – the Doorstep Library Garden at the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show.

They lived in Michael’s studio in Bonn, travelled the world, and honed their glassmaking skills. After considering several locations for a permanent home, London seemed the best choice. They were already familiar with England, having spent years assisting more experienced glassblowers and renting studio spaces. In this way, they built their first client base, allowing their current London studio to enjoy considerable success from the moment it opened.

Michael Ruh’s Poetics

Aware of the importance of time and a personal approach to it, Ruh never rushes and, when speaking in the language of trends, describes his work as part of the slow design movement. He translates his reflections on the passage of time into the artistic concepts behind his pieces, often drawing inspiration from his travels and memories of different places and their colours.

I sort of have a memory bank of colours I have seen, or made pictures or notes of, textures that attract me, materials that sometimes take my breath away because of their simple beauty, or brutality.I love bright winter light, snow covered landscapes and leafless trees. I am overwhelmed visually by arid landscapes, or cityscapes at dawn and sunset. I strive to make pieces that slowly reveal their secrets.

– Michael Ruh, for MDBY, 2015

Fully immersed in the handcrafting of his material, he produces only a few pieces of glass each day. Working with heavy, optical-quality glass and guided by a profound philosophy of colour, he has become a poet of glass, creating work with a unique and recognisable signature.

In almost every piece by Michael Ruh, you will notice fine, abstract lines in the glass. He incises them with a tool he made himself, at the moment when the form is almost fully realised and the glass transitions from a molten to a solid state – leaving his mark in time. His original technique resembles bokuseki, the monastic skill and calligraphic style of Zen Buddhism – the lines must be executed with absolute decisiveness. There is no room for hesitation or mistakes, as the cooling glass records everything. Such a technique demands an exceptionally calm mind.

I use skills that have remained unchanged for centuries. To modernise them, I made tools with which I can scribe lines into glass, while it is still hot. So, by simple means and tools, I made a way to embellish glass in a different way.

– Michael Ruh, for Homo Faber

He chose glassblowing as his calling precisely in search of peace – a challenge that would fully absorb and occupy him. When he first encountered glass in Belgium, he saw its simplicity, yet also its strength and fragility, along with the demanding processes of production and creation. The heat generated by the glass furnace, unbearable for most people (the studio is constantly around 30°C, rising above 40°C in summer), and the necessary repetitive actions – turning the blowpipe, frequently reheating the glass – he experienced as arduous working conditions that both demand and reward discipline, concentration, patience, and immense physical effort. He had found a material worthy of his entire dedication.

Molten glass evokes within me a deep sense of mystery. I have a great sense that there is still so little I know and master about the material. My intention and will is constantly kept restrained by my physical limitations, and the physical limits of the material itself. I find with other materials there is less compromise between deliberate interaction with the material and the aesthetic result. Glass as a material determines and limits very much what I can do with it, more so than with other materials.

– Michael Ruh, for MDBY, 2015

Colour and tactile aesthetics

The forms of glass from the Michael Ruh Studio are usually extremely simple. They “speak” first through their colour, and much more so through contact with the human hand. All attention is focused on colour and tactile aesthetics. With a refined awareness of touch as an experience that can evoke memories and create feelings of comfort, security, luxury, or frustration, Michael and his team consider every aspect that affects the perception of glass by hand – is it flat or has protrusions and indentations, how smooth is it, is it easy or heavy when you pick it up, does it lean to one side or is perfectly balanced?

I would like my glassware to be used as an everyday article, but that’s not to say it should look like an everyday glass.

– The Michael Ruh Studio, News

Ruh applies both traditional and innovative techniques. He is commissioned by master artisans of their craft, such as perfumers, designers seeking something special for their clients, luxury hotels, and other brands wishing to stand out through the beauty and quality of glass. Whether working on a perfume bottle, a one-of-a-kind chandelier, or a tableware collection, his creative process is never the same, yet it always produces glass crafted with meticulous care, fine detailing, and a stunning finish. Clients appreciate such dedication.

Innovative techniques and a paper mould

Ruh’s innovative techniques do not rely on advanced software or machinery, but on original solutions, such as a paper mould he used to blow unique lampshades for wall lights commissioned by The Birch Hotel (Selsdon). He crumpled paper into an ordinary metal bucket and blew the molten glass into it. As the paper burned in contact with the hot glass, the mould transformed, creating distinctive textures on each piece. In this way, he produced a series of 300 similar yet unique lampshades, forming a family of related glass objects. Monocle even made a short film about this project, which was a variation of the Luna pendant light that Ruh regularly produces.

Clients with whom Michael and Natascha frequently collaborate include Pentagram Design, Studio Reed, Faye Toogood, Christian Dior, Estelle Manor, Ben Thompson (BWT), Liberty, Ochre, Poliform, Perfumer H, Another Country, and Fermoie, among others. One collaboration with the luxury department store Fortnum & Mason, established on Piccadilly in 1707, the store has since expanded to three additional London locations and one in Hong Kong. In the original store, Michael’s vases take centre stage on the tables of the Tea Salon, while the large chocolate boutique, featuring over 500 varieties of chocolate, is illuminated by his pendant and table lamps. In the main bar at The Royal Exchange, the counters are lit by his lamps.

Initially everything I made was nonfunctional. The more skills I gained, the more functional my work became. I’ve always tried to make work that expresses my interests while answering the remit of a commercial commission. I am quite specific about colour and shape, and always include some process which is not necessarily apparent, but strongly influences the look and outcome of the piece.

– Michael Ruh, for footpatrol.com, 2025

A lot of time and money for some energy savings

Recently, Michael and Natascha were able to focus on renovating their studio to make it more energy-efficient, reducing its reliance on gas and electricity. After several months spent researching electric furnaces, believing that was what they should invest in, and consulting numerous specialists, they ultimately decided to adapt their existing gas furnace. They had hoped to carry out the work themselves, but it proved impossible.

In the end, through the American glass artist community, they found a specialised manufacturer in the U.S. capable of making even annealing ovens more energy-efficient. When the parts arrived in London by ship, it took them three weeks to dismantle the furnace and reassemble with a new heat recuperators. They then spent an additional week fine-tuning everything to ensure the furnace operated perfectly.

We still can’t be 100% sure what our efficiency gains are, but after just a little over a month running our retrofitted furnace and annealing ovens, our gas and electricity consumption has decreased.

– The Michael Ruh Studio, News

Publicity, humility and dreams

Over the past 25 years, Michael Ruh’s works have frequently been exhibited. Two pieces have even been acquired for museum collections: the Gral vase for Blackwell, The Arts & Crafts House (Cumbria), and Gerbera (Coccon String Vessel) for the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh.

Although his work is in demand worldwide, Ruh speaks sparingly about himself. He lets his material do the talking – flawlessly recycled glass shaped with both intellect and intuition, refined in its colour, form, and painstaking craftsmanship. Award-winning filmmaker Ian Denyer created a half-hour film, Handmade (Glass). Wordless, the film captures only the sounds of the glass studio as Michael makes the Summer Pitcher. The entire process is documented – from firing the furnace to the finished jug on the table – and the film was broadcast on BBC four.

Although his work is in demand worldwide, Ruh speaks sparingly about himself. Much like a Zen Buddhist, he lets his material do the talking – flawlessly recycled glass shaped with both intellect and intuition, refined in its colour, form, and painstaking craftsmanship. Having worked independently for more than 20 years, his quiet humility and inner fire are now being increasingly recognised and admired. Award-winning filmmaker Ian Denyer created a half-hour film, Handmade (Glass). Wordless, the film captures only the sounds of the glass studio as Michael makes the Summer Pitcher. The entire process is documented – from firing the furnace to the finished jug on the table – and the film was broadcast on the BBC.

When often asked what he dreams of creating and what he would make under ideal conditions, Ruh has given the same answer for years – he would like to create an installation that leaves people with the impression of an unforgettable encounter with nature, similar to the experiences he and Natascha carry with them from their travels, which continue to inspire him to this day.

I would love to do a large-scale installation in glass, metal and wood, perhaps over a big piazza outdoors or in a huge atrium. Not necessarily an enormous piece, but one with many small glass and light components that would create something visually grand.

– Michael Ruh, for Homo Faber

He has perhaps come closest to fulfilling that wish while working on the Arbol chandelier – arbol meaning tree in Spanish. Among other occasions, he presented it on the platform of The New Craftsmen, a promoter of British artists who master traditional materials and artisanal techniques.

Recalling his walks through the forest, which early in his career helped him focus on his work, this chandelier evokes his experience of sunlight filtering through the canopy, defining space like an invisible, transient architecture within the woods. He hand-blows the clusters of bulbous shades freely, then hand-polished them to prevent light from refracting and to retain it within the glass. The steel tubes supporting the clusters were compressed with a press and clamp to achieve an organic appearance, clearly handcrafted and reminiscent of a tree branch. With finishing details – metal connections and waxing – he imbued the piece with life and character.

When I finished University, concept was everything. I made landscape installations, then photographed them and documented them. Functionalism was simply too common for me! The more I learned about glass making though,function became the primary concern, but I have never eliminated my attraction to the concept. Light, shadow, line, or perhaps a quirky surprise are all elements of my design language.

– Michael Ruh, for MDBY, 2015

References

Blog.footpatrol.com. (2023, May 5). Michael Ruh for the Nike Air Max 1 86 ‘Obsidian’ | Footpatrol Discussions. Blog.footpatrol.com – Footpatrol Discussions – General. JD SPORTS FASHION PLC.
Cool-escapes.de. (online). MICHAEL RUH & NATASCHA WAHL: FROM A HOT HOUSE. COOL ESCAPES.
Crafts Council (online) Maker 980. Media.craftscouncil.org.uk.
Creative Glass Serbia. (2025). Interview with Michael Ruh. Paraćin: Creative Glass Serbia.
Denyer, I. (2015). HANDMADE (glass). BBC Scotland Arts Production.
Ebert, J. (2019, April 29). Glassmaker: Michael Ruh. Homesandgardens.com (Interior Design).
Homo Faber. (online). Ruh Michael. Homofaber.com.
Howells, T. (2015, December 22). How do I become a glassmaker. The Guardian (Work & careers).
IN/OUT. (2016, July 29). Feature: Michael Ruh, Glass Artist, London. IN/OUT by Arent&Pyke (Objects).
MDBY… (2015, March 13). Michael Ruh. Mdesignby.com.
Michael Ruh Studio. (online). https://www.michaelruh.com/
MONOCLE films. (2023). DESIGN / LONDON: Glassblowing with Michael Ruh. MONOCLE films.

Kreativno staklo Srbije

Creative Glass Serbia

Kreativno staklo Srbije

Creative Glass Serbia

Michael Ruh: Optical quality of recycled glass

Michael Ruh: Optical quality of recycled glass

Precious shards of colour

Philosophy of colour

The German connection

Great love at a small art school in northern Belgium

Michael Ruh’s Poetics

Colour and tactile aesthetics

Innovative techniques and a paper mould

A lot of time and money for some energy savings

Publicity, humility and dreams

References