What if everything you thought you saw wasn’t real? Enter the world of Dylan Martinez, a contemporary glass artist whose work is so hyperrealistic, it’ll have you doing a double take. From his iconic water bag sculptures that look like they could spill at any moment to his vibrant, sculpted glass water balloons, Dylan’s art challenges perception and blurs the line between reality and illusion. In this exclusive interview, Dylan takes us behind the scenes of his creative process, sharing the unexpected journey that led him to glassblowing, the secret to making glass look like liquid, and why people keep trying to pick up his sculptures (spoiler: they’re fooled every time).

Check Out Dylan's Works HERE

From water balloons to mind-bending glass illusions - tell us about your journey as an artist. How did you end up making glass sculptures that trick the eye? 

The idea for the water bag sculptures came to me in grad school when I was experimenting with a new tool, making marks in molten glass. I noticed the marks resembled the wrinkles in a water-filled plastic bag and immediately decided to try replicating the kind of bag you get when taking home a pet goldfish. I’ve been making them ever since, and they continue to challenge me. Something I love about hyperrealistic glasswork is how deceptively simple it looks. The forms are clean and minimal, but they’re incredibly difficult to create. I didn’t grow up knowing much about art or that being an artist was even a possibility. I studied science in college and didn’t take my first glassblowing class until my junior year as an elective. But once I did, I was hooked. I dedicated almost all my free time to getting better at it. After graduation, I had a pivotal apprenticeship with a master craftsman, where I learned advanced techniques. I then spent a year working with glass in New Zealand before deciding to go to grad school. Up until that point, I was mainly focused on refining utilitarian forms and expanding my decorative techniques. Grad school pushed me to approach the material differently—to think critically about my work and its conceptual side. I had to play catch-up, learning about art history and theory while figuring out what I wanted to explore in my own work. That’s when I really started leaning into sculpture and non-functional forms. Perception became a key theme in my work, and it still is. I love making pieces so realistic that they trick the viewer into believing they’re something they’re not. 

Okay, Dylan, be honest—how many people have tried to pick up your glass water balloons thinking they’re real? 

A lot! People are always drawn to them and want to touch them. But please don’t—they’re quite fragile! 

Your sculptures are so hyper-realistic it’s almost unsettling (in the best way). What’s the secret to creating glass that looks like it’s about to drip all over the floor? 

The secret is doing it really well! That’s the hard part. It looks simple, but it requires a lot of technique, skill, and innovation. You can’t create something new just by repeating what you already know—you have to push beyond that. Some of the steps in making my water bag sculptures are actually counterintuitive, so I have to stay open to doing things differently or discovering new approaches to get the result I want.