Guy Hepner Gallery

Dylan Martinez Water Balloon Trio 4 - Pink w/ droplets, Yellow, Dark Purple For Sale

Dylan Martinez
Dylan Martinez - Water Balloon Trio 4 - Pink w/ droplets, Yellow, Dark Purple, 2026, Glass Sculptures - Hot Sculpted, Sand...

Water Balloon Trio 4 - Pink w/ droplets, Yellow, Dark Purple, 2026

Glass Sculptures - Hot Sculpted, Sandblasted, Acid Etched

Approximate Sizes of Each Balloon: L: 4-5" W: 3-3.5" H: 3-3.5"

About this work

Dylan Martinez has established himself as a leading figure in contemporary glass sculpture, distinguished by his ability to transform a universally familiar object—the water balloon—into a meditation on material contradiction and frozen temporality. Working from his studio, Martinez employs traditional hot glass techniques combined with meticulous surface treatments including sandblasting and acid etching to achieve the uncanny translucency and tactile softness his work is known for. His sculptures capture the precise tension of a filled balloon, complete with the subtle irregularities and gathered rubber at the tie, yet render these ephemeral forms in permanent, solid glass. Water Balloon Trio 4 - Pink w/ droplets, Yellow, Dark Purple represents a compelling iteration within Martinez's ongoing exploration of color relationships and surface variation. The inclusion of simulated water droplets on the pink form demonstrates his continued technical evolution, adding another layer of illusionistic complexity to an already demanding process. Each balloon measures approximately four to five inches in length with proportional width and height, scaled to evoke the intimate, handheld nature of the original object. The trio format allows for chromatic interplay between the warm pink, vibrant yellow, and deep purple—a palette that balances playfulness with visual sophistication. Martinez's water balloons have found homes in significant private collections, with collectors responding to work that operates simultaneously as technical virtuosity, pop-inflected commentary, and pure sculptural form. The pieces reward close inspection, revealing the labor-intensive finishing processes that distinguish his practice from conventional glass work. For acquisition inquiries regarding this sculpture, please contact Guy Hepner directly.

$2,800

Sell or Consign

Edition & Provenance

Year
2026
Medium
Glass Sculptures - Hot Sculpted, Sandblasted, Acid Etched

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About the Water Balloons Series

Dylan Martinez makes objects so convincing that people reach out to touch them before realizing what they're looking at. Trained in traditional glassblowing and holding an MFA in Glass from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, Martinez has spent years refining a hyperrealistic technique that turns solid, hot-sculpted glass into a near-perfect illusion of everyday materials. The Water Balloons series takes that technique and, for the first time in several years, adds color.

Each balloon begins as raw hot glass, individually hand-sculpted at the studio Martinez runs in Bingen, Washington. Once cooled, the surface is sandblasted and acid-etched, a process that strips the glossy transparency of the glass and replaces it with the soft, slightly matte translucency of stretched latex. The tied neck, the gentle sag of the form under its own implied weight, and — on select pieces — beads of condensation on the exterior, are all worked entirely by hand.

Available individually or as curated trios and larger groupings, the Water Balloons play off one another in color and scale much the way a handful of real balloons might sit together on a table. The series marks a shift for Martinez, whose reputation was built on the clear, illusionistic water bag sculptures that first drew international attention through publications including Elle Decoration, American Craft Magazine, and Interior Design Magazine, and that entered public and private collections such as the Imagine Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. Water Balloons brings that same optical rigor into a brighter, more playful register.

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Water Balloon Trio 4 - Pink w/ droplets, Yellow, Dark Purple

About Dylan Martinez

Dylan Martinez is a contemporary glass artist based Washington State, USA. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Glass from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, where he studied broad field science with a minor in outdoor education. His path to glass began as a college elective that quickly became a lifelong pursuit.

Martinez works entirely in hot glass, hand-sculpting each piece without molds or casting. His practice centers on perception and illusion, drawing on the technique of Trompe L'oeil to create works that challenge what the eye believes to be true. He is best known for his water bag sculptures, objects that are indistinguishable from plastic bags filled with water, made entirely from molten glass shaped between 650 and 1150 degrees. The work is animated by his own experience of red-green colorblindness, which has given him a lifelong interest in how perception shapes reality.

He has trained with master glassmakers across the United States and completed a residency with Venetian glass masters in Murano, Italy. His most recent series introduces color for the first time in years, with sculptural works referencing water balloons and Pac-Man imagery that signal a move toward pop art territory.

Martinez's work is held in the Imagine Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida and the Kelime Müzesi in Ankara, Turkey, among other public and private collections. He has exhibited across the US, Italy, France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Taiwan, and has been featured in Interior Design Magazine, American Craft Magazine, Elle Decoration, Aesthetica, and Colossal.

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