From a cross-discipline artist and a newcomer to glass art to winning the Honorable Mention at the International Exhibition of Glass Kanazawa in Japan in 2016, Du Meng has invigorated glass art, offering her fans greater possibilities, creativity, and breakthroughs. 

"Glass is a material with many possibilities, not just for utensils or decorations. I hope everyone asks questions when they see my work, which may not appear in the form they traditionally associate with glass," said Du Meng.

In 2008, Du Meng graduated from the Central Academy of Fine Arts with a major in Visual Communication Art. Before specializing in glass art at the Rochester Institute of Technology's Master of Fine Arts program in the United States, a memorable trip sparked her interest in the craft.

"At the end of 2008, our supervisor took me and my classmates on a trip to the U.S. In an art museum on the trip, I first saw artists using glass as a material to create their work. I was curious about how glass could be used in such a way," said Du Meng.

"I particularly like to see the changing state of shadows cast by light passing through glass at different times and seasons," Du explained. "The interesting thing about glass is that you not only need to consider the glass itself, but also the shadows it projects or the light it reflects. These are all part of the work and can be expanded within the space."

There's a group of works that Du Meng is currently experimenting with. The name is "Drift Through the Forest, Silence in the Valley," and in the work she has recycled a lot of glass soda bottles. She said it's completely different from what she envisioned. It's highly opaque, and there are many textures similar to cracked ice. She believed the naturally formed state is very beautiful.

One of Du Meng's hobbies is collecting bottles, and she thinks there's a lot of information that can be gleaned from them. Looking from above, one can see where the bottle was originally produced and what it was used for, but after the liquid inside is used, it loses its function. She said the process of smashing bottles makes her feel like she can let them continue to stay in the world in another form.

Every time she goes to a second-hand market, she deliberately checks to see if there are any glass bottles she really likes, in terms of their color and shape. She thinks they exude a strong sense of their era.

"Because when I make works of art from glass, I often resonate with the little bottles, so I think it's fate when they come to my house. Yes, they are at my house and they can be used as something else in another form," she said.

Du Meng said there are many emotions hidden inside the glass, as is the case with her own works. In the past, she said people would often ask her why she chose this material, and she told them it's because she appreciates its temperament, which is somewhat transparent. However, when a strong light is shone on glass so that it casts a deep shadow, the analogy with herself gets even more complicated. This is because, even if some people think her work is beautiful or cute, when she creates it, she not only wants to express that side of herself, but also her rebellious attitude, she said.

"Because glass itself is a very contradictory material, I think it's particularly suitable for expressing those entangled and twisted emotions," she added.

With her unique ideas and production methods, Du Meng introduces glass art into our lives, allowing more people to feel its warmth, and having an unprecedented visual impact on viewers.