Nayna Mistry is a South African born artist, living in Johannesburg. She trades as Nayna M Rhythm on Glass. The name is inspired from the flow of glass, fused in her kiln, forming unique patterns and colours that are inspiring and sometimes unexpected. This art form is called kiln formed glass or fused glass.
Her artistic inspiration was kindled at a young age. She went on to complete a national diploma in clothing design in 1992. In 1998, her husband Rohit Mistry, went for a glass cutting and fusing course and purchased the kiln. They began experimenting with glass and powders and fusing techniques. As a life-long student, she drew on techniques from life drawing and creative design to expand her artistic scope. Coming from a Hindu home, Nayna draws creative inspiration from the form and rhythm of the Aum sign. It remains her favourite design to paint.
Her other muses are the everyday beauty of nature and the transcendence of her rich colourful culture. The visual aesthetics of the artwork, ranges from vibrant and joyful to calming and earthy. She enjoys working with colour and texture to enhance the beautiful medium of glass. Her intention is to invoke a sense of positivity and warmth in the viewer, and to the space that the glass art occupies.
Her latest exploration has been in large scale architectural features and signage, which has brought a new dimension of possibility for her glass works. As she continues to grow and develop as an artist, she is often reminded on what the early modernist artist Marc Chagall once said, “In our life, there is a single colour, as on an artist’s palette, which provides the meaning of life and art. It is the colour of love.”