The glass artist known as Sakibomb Hackysacky is a quirky Japanese gal with a penchant for all things feline and feminine. Though she first started smoking weed when she was 17, Saki (as her friends call her) didn’t smoke out of glass until nearly eight years later and was immediately taken with the medium.
“I started wondering how it’s made and thought it would be wonderful if I can make my own pipes and also able to fix what I break.”
Sakibomb arrived in America in 2001 and five years later, at the age of 30, began her new career as a glassblower. She quickly picked up new techniques and approaches to the business by working alongside some of the top artists in the game – nearly all of which were men.
“The industry is growing very fast, but one thing that never really changes – and I wish it would – is that it’s still a male-dominated business,” she points out. “We need more ladies who actually make pipes!”
Saki puts her unique brand of feminism on full display in her art: Among the most prominent themes expressed in her work are pussies – both the animals and the genitalia (think Hello Kitty meets Georgia O’Keefe).
“I make popsicles with vaginas that I call ‘popussycles,’ she says. “And I make vagina rings, so they’re literally ‘fingering’ when you wear them.”
This type of wordplay is another theme that runs throughout her body of work.
“I made a ‘six-foot’ bong, but instead of it being six feet tall, I put six human feet on it!” she giggles. “Or like my nose pipe… flower is ‘hana’ in Japanese, but hana is also nose, so my flower pipe is a nose.”
In addition to vaginas, Saki’s art also frequently incorporates animal prints, the color pink and lots and lots of cats. In fact, the care and rescue of furry felines is one of the primary passions in her life.
“If everyone on this planet could adopt one cat each, we could make a world with no stray cats… and I would be so happy!”
sakibombhackysacky.com | @sakibombhackysacky
