World Of: Kerbi Urbanowski

Urbanowski Sat With WOE To Talk About the Naivety of Youth, Working With BrainDead, Putting Time Into Her Craft, and So Much More.

Kerbi Urbanowski’s stained glass work is incredible. The multi-disciplinary object-maker is blurring the lines between art and commerce, especially when it comes to working with brands like BrainDead and Northface— or making her own nightlights. There is a fun and jovial quality to everything she produces. Urbanowski sat with WOE to talk about the naivety of youth, working with BrainDead, putting time into your craft, and so much more.

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Xavier Spurlock: Did you always want to be an artist?

Kerbi Urbanowski: It's hard to answer this question without feeling cheesy, but yes, I've always wanted to be an artist in some form or another. Even as a kid, I was a determined maker. But there is a significant difference between wanting to be an artist and actually committing to doing so as a profession. When I started asking myself larger questions about life, my desire to be self-employed and own my own business became too obvious to ignore. I took those two facts, and through many long nights, I slowly and organically built my art practice.

Why did you decide to move to San Francisco from Chicago at 17?

In my senior year of high school, I had a few great teachers who pushed me to apply for college. My high school grades were terrible, so bad I almost didn't graduate. The colleges that accepted me had placed me under academic probation. The only school that didn't and gave me a clean slate was the San Francisco Art Institute. I had no desire to be haunted by my high school grades, so I packed up and moved to SF as soon as I could. For the record, I maintained straight A's in college.

How do you think that move impacted your career?

It's hard to say. I probably could have benefited personally from staying in Chicago and being so close to family, but, at the same time, leaving afforded me opportunities to grow more autonomously. Career-wise, I think my proximity to LA has helped. There's a unique and supportive art community out here that I'm happy to be a part of. It's nice to be around artists who take their work seriously, and it provides a mental space for me to do the same.

I know that you paint, make rugs, and specialize in stained glass. Are there any other disciplines you're into or want to dive into?

My next goal is to step back and focus on perfecting the objects I'm making so that they are more eco-conscious without taking away from the work visually. It's important to me, and I haven't dedicated enough time to problem-solving and minimizing my footprint as an artist. In many ways, it's a precarious line because the act of reuse and repurposing materials as a way to minimize eco-impact has often been tied to the concept of being "cheap." How do you shed that stereotype? Using stained glass as my medium helps because it is inherently precious, but it doesn't entirely solve the issue for me.

I watched you make a stained glass window on YouTube, is everything you produce handmade like this, no matter the size?

At the moment, yes. I have a shop apprentice starting this week that will take on a lot of the more "assembly line" steps that go into making stained glass so that I can focus on the larger pictures of composition, form, palette, and concept.

Are you making everything by yourself?

Well, I have two art practices running simultaneously in my shop. One is my commissioned works that I complete from start to finish by myself, and the other is a series of ongoing long-term collaborations with other working artists. I usually will approach artists that I admire and see if there's some way we can make something that combines both of our superpowers. I'm working on all unrelated projects with a ceramic artist in Oakland, a woodworker that lives in Marin, a metalsmith, and an Illustrator here in SF. These are considered the playful side of my practice, and there are no expectations other than one day finishing a completed object together. The running joke is, if it's ugly, who cares! We never have to show anyone.

How did you find & learn from Cradle of the Sun? Can you explain what they do there?

Dan Gamaldi is the owner of Cradle of the Sun Stained Glass, an OG stained glass shop here in SF. He is an amazing stained glass artist with years of knowledge and skill. I automatically gravitated to him and made him my unsolicited mentor. I wanted to learn everything, so I took his classes, started buzzing around the shop, asked questions, and waited for him to teach me things. He is a great resource here in SF, and I credit him immensely. I still learn something new every time I swing by his shop. If you live in the bay and want to learn stained glass, do yourself a favor and introduce yourself to Dan.

What clicked for you to decide to make stained glass your specialty?

It happened organically, with an obsessive determination to make objects with importance and skill. There's a degree of seriousness and tradition that should be respected, which is why I put in the time and dedication to get better. It's also very hopeful because it's a respected profession you can age into if you're good enough.

Is ColorGlow still the company name, or have you rebranded, because I couldn't find anything pertaining to ColorGlow?

I used ColorGlow like writers who use pseudonyms. I went down a weird rabbit hole believing that branding was a "necessary business move." It became apparent quickly that I had just subconsciously bought into corporate commercialism rules by adopting a company name. I had to ask myself, "why am I trying to distance myself from my work that is so inherently personal?" That being said, I'm happy I did it because I realized it was something I didn't need. Why make more rules when I chose a profession that breaks them. I sign everything personally now.

The volume and variety of things you make are incredible, how do you continue to come up with so many different designs?

I think it's crucial to explain that I put in the time to do so. It's not as much of a mystery as it seems, and I think anyone could do a version of what I do if they put in the critical thought, time, and energy. When I'm working on a new project, the beginning stages are all about problem-solving. It's intuitive in some ways, and the process of creating can make a lot of the initial decisions for you. That being said, a lot of the work doesn't come out the way I expected or even wanted. My intuition has led me to create some really ugly work, which is necessary for the making process. Even the funniest comedians bomb sometimes. It's just part of the process. Right now, I'm working on a new series of 100 different objects for Brain Dead's store in Japan. I can't tell you anything other than they are all different designs, and I need to sit and be present with each one.

Who do you think has influenced your work the most?

Visually, Eduard Vuillard, David Hockney, Honore Daumier, Van Gogh, George Bellows, Joseph Beuys, De Kooning, David Park, Wayne Thiebaud, Matisse. I love old signs and advertisements. I also think the painting community at San Francisco Art Institute really influenced my practice. I had some amazing teachers that wouldn't entertain my bullshit when I was slacking, and it pushed me in directions I would have never thought possible.

In recent years I credit the artist Michael Markowitz and his figure drawing studio, 23rd Street Studio in SF. He has influenced my process immensely by providing an environment for artists to explore and push their craft.

You told Brokeassstuart you were allowed to create whatever the heck you wanted in college. How would you describe what you're doing now?

There's a level of freedom and play that comes with not knowing what you want to do with your life. I think the naivety of youth afforded me a more carefree outlook with art that is harder to entertain now. I'm thankful I was given that opportunity to explore, but I'm also pleased about the work I'm choosing to make now. I suppose I use my time more carefully than I did in the past. I also know the energy it takes to harness a concept and make it a reality.

You're blurring the line of art, commerce, and product—is that something that you think about?

All the time. My goal is to make accessible art that my friends and peers can afford while simultaneously working on larger installations for private collections and corporate clients.

Is your mentality the same when creating for an exhibit versus creating for a client?

There's definitely more pressure to please when working privately with a client. I enjoy both and evaluate each project case by case.

To me, BrainDead is one of the coolest brands out today, how did you connect with them?

A couple of years ago, my friend D33j showed my work to Brain Dead's co-founder, Kyle. I think D33J, Kyle, and I all have similar motivation and follow-through to get things done. I love seeing when a project manifests, and it's even more exciting when there's a group effort, and everyone is working their butts off to make it happen. In addition to that, Kyle has given me a lot of artistic freedom, which means so much. It seems like the moment we finish a project, we start planning the next. We're working on our 5th consecutive collaboration right now.

Are there certain qualities you enjoy seeing in the people who hire you to do something for them?

I love when clients are direct and have positive energy. It takes the stress of guessing away so we can focus on moving the project forward. It also means a lot to me when the client genuinely likes my work and appreciates the labor that goes into creating it. Relaxed deadlines don't hurt either!

Can you walk me through a project where you have complete creative control versus one that has a specific idea in mind & more constraints?

Specific ideas take a lot longer because, in most instances, the ideas aren't second nature to me. For example, I was asked a couple of months ago to design a set of bathroom windows for a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Chicago. The owner likes owls, specifically the great horned owl. I spent hours and hours researching owls, what they eat, where they nest, etc. I researched all the Frank Lloyd Wright houses I could find and studied his architectural ethics to make sure I would make something worthy. I choose specific antique water glass for materials, for reasons I won't get into now, but were important conceptually. I contracted an illuminated glass painter who restores cathedral stained glass for the owl portion because I knew he would do a better job, and I wanted it to be perfect. Then, the project fell through.

On the other hand, when I have complete control, projects move forward quickly because It's what I've been training this whole time to do. I make the work that comes to me with the tools I have been nurturing this entire time.

What are some of your favorite things you've made?

My dad and I worked on a 55ft x 5 ft stained glass awning at Adeline's House of Cool in Wisconsin. It was definitely the most meaningful project I've ever made.

There's a fun and jovial quality to your work. Is that more intentional or intuitive?

I think I flip flop between the two as mark-making techniques. I believe each one keeps the other in check, if that makes sense.

Do you plan to continue to grow into more products, or do you have another plan in mind?

Yes, I'd really like to get involved with restaurant design somehow. I love the thought of making and designing tiles, plating, lighting, partitioned walls, paired with communal dining that everyone can enjoy. While I enjoy creating objects for homes, there is an added motivation when it crosses over into public art.

You've decided to go to school for interior design, correct? Is there a reason behind that?
Yes, I'm not pursuing an interior design degree as much as I am trying to take a few classes to learn the language of interior design and how it can be useful to my work. I have very tangible visions of controlling the design of multiple objects in a room, as I mentioned earlier with restaurant dining.

What's next for you?

Hopefully, people will continue to entertain my visions, no matter how wacky, and help fund them into reality.