Mariusz was born in Bialystok, Poland in 1977 and went to St Petersburg where he saw the czarist glass collection of Venetian Masters which absolutely fascinated him. From that very moment of inspiration, he knew exactly what he wanted to do in life. That same year, he started working and studying at the Bialystok Glass Works. He was taught by the best glass blowers and designers at the Krosno Glass Works. In 1987, he left Poland and sought work in the field of artistic glass. He came to Seattle in December 1988, knowing only a few words of English, and in a few weeks, he found work in his chosen profession. Rynkiewicz excels in technical expertise. In 1989, he moved with his family to the Seattle area, where he worked for various local studios producing other people’s designs. In 1995, he built his own studio in Everett, WA, where he develops his own line of production work, which exemplifies an “east meets west” influence. The work that we show at Vetri is traditional in form, yet it is made bold and contemporary with his choices of color combinations and overlays that have become part of the “Northwest” glass style.