Henry Hillman Jr.

Henry Hillman’s early interest in photography soon shifted to woodworking and metal work, encouraging him to take a wood shop class at the University of Vermont. In the 1970s, Hillman met an up and coming glass artist, Dale Chihuly. Inspired by the work of Chihuly and the blossoming studio glass movement, in 1975, Hillman moved to Oregon. Seven years later, he met Bullseye Glass co-founder Dan Schwoerer, who taught Hillman how to blow glass. Shortly after, Hillman would open a glass studio across the street from Bullseye’s Southeast Portland factory. He studied with and made art alongside renowned artists including Chihuly, Lino Tagliapietra, Dante Marioni, and Klaus Moje. Hillman transitioned to casting glass in the mid-1980s, creating whimsical wild-child works possibly inspired by the artist’s experiences during the 1960s. Hillman would later shift to a more sober palette composed of solid colors. In 1994, he moved his studio to its current location, dubbing the space “Fourth Dimension Studios.”