Whether they knew it or not, those lucky enough to have purchased one of Wang's early works certainly got a bargain. His work now commands prices of between a couple of thousand and several hundred thousand New Taiwan Dollars. Several of his works have pride of place in museums in the US, Europe as well as Taiwan. He is also the only Taiwanese artist whose glass works are part of the permanent collection at Beijing's National Place Museum (
Leaving the Liuli workshop in 1993, Wang set about creating a more commercial name for both himself and his art. A year later he founded the Titto Company. Now there are 21 stores in Taiwan and 20 international stores ranging from Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, the US, Italy and Saudi Arabia.
In addition to over-the-counter sales, Wang and Titto have built up a solid reputation for custom-made corporate works. Global organizations that have commissioned Wang to create original pieces include Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Cathay Group, Swatch and Acer.
Branching out from the world of business in 1999, Wang founded the Tittot Glass Art Museum (
Instead of simply teaching professional artists the tricks of the trade, Wang has set out to teach not only just how easy the creation of glass artwork can be, but also the history and social importance of the age-old art form.
"Historically, glass has been an important part of Chinese culture dating back at least 2,000 years, but there was nowhere where this was explained in Taiwan," Wang said. "In Austria, the Czech Republic and Italy, where glass is a celebrated art form, there are numerous museums that show it. So I simply decided it was time Taiwan had one as well." The museum now attracts around 4,000 visitors on any given month.
To cap his decade in glass art, last year Wang's work and the Titto brand name became the first Chinese and sole Taiwanese crystal glass brand to be acknowledged by Messe Frankfurt -- a major player in the business.
"It was a great honor for me, the company and of course Taiwan to be recognized [by Messe Frankfurt]. It has enabled us to be a truly global player," Wang said. "It means that we now command the same international standing and can compete with such celebrated glassware brands as Waterford, Baccarat and Daum."
Though the day to day operations of his business now consume much of Wang's time, the ever-cordial glass entrepreneur still adamantly refuses to be labeled a businessman.
"Its more difficult to create works for a wider market than for oneself. You have to think of others and find a niche rather than simply acting on your own," he explained.
"The way I look at how I develop my works has certainly changed, but my overall line of thought vis-a-vis what is art remains the same. And, yes, I'm still an artist."
The Tittot Glass Art Museum (琉園水晶博物館) is located at 16, Lane 515, Chungyang N Rd, Sec 4, Peitou District, Taipei (台北市北投區中央北路四段515巷16號). The museum is open from 9am until 5pm Tuesdays through Sundays. For information about and enrollment dates for the museum's upcoming glass blowing, etching and molding classes call (02) 2895 8861 or log on to www.glass.com.tw/en/index-museum.htm.
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