Andrejs Viks presents Glass Muse

Glass Muse is the name of a manufacture based in Riga, Latvia, and as the name suggests, the team of artist Artis Nimanis has specialised in glass products. They craft designer items such as lamps and jewellery, but also glass dildos, each a little different from the next, making every toy a unicum. In our interview with Andrejs Viks, the CFO of Glass Muse, we talk about the philosophy that powers Glass Muse.

Glass-made object are the focus of your company Glass Muse, just like the name suggests. What is it that makes this material so fascinating?
Andrejs Viks: Ideas, functionality, and design are combined in risky ways with the fragile yet captivating material of glass so as to create a variety of functional objects. This is Mr. Artis Nimanis’ creative ambition and greatest challenge. The Glass Muse brand reflects Artis’ vision to seek functionality, aesthetics, and a unique and passionate element in the medium of glass.

Your company is not strictly a sex toy manufacturer, since you also offer other glass-made objects. Which products do you offer besides the toys? Do you see Glass Muse as a sex toy manufacturer or a design company?
Andrejs Viks: Yes, we are not just a sex toy manufacturer. First and foremost, GlassMuse is a design and art company. Our company offers several products, the main focus being on three types of products. For bright (6 kinds of ear rings, 2 kinds of rings, necklace), For play (dildos) and For gift (several small art objects that make a perfect gift for people you love and appreciate). We mostly produce (I would even say – we create) special things for very special people. And nowadays, we also produce dildos, which become an important part of our business. We believe our dildos are very nicely designed and excellent to use.

Are you following certain design guidelines with your products? What’s most important to you when it comes to sex toy design?
Andrejs Viks: Our art director, Mr. Artis Nimanis, always puts design first, especially clear and pure design with clear lines and shapes that may surprise the customers. If they see these products – they fall in love with them! And in the case of dildos, that is quite literally what happens. The design and functionality of the products are our two main objectives. You first perceive a product with your eyes, and you have to like it right away, then with the first touch, you have to feel it. And then your body has to love it, but the fist two impressions are very important as well. If they are not right – you will not buy the products. We do not mind if our dildos are presented like art objects on a retailer’s shelf, but it’s better to see it in all possible ways, not just as an art object.

Which possibilities does the material glass offer? What are its limitations?
Andrejs Viks: What do you think about first when you hear about glass? Fragile, clear, sharp when broken? All this is true, but we have made innumerable experiments with glass and want to share our knowledge and passion about this material. We do break the standard understanding of glass as a material. We try to use all possible ways to show it to people. Dildos are a very important part of all this. We try to make people think of beauty and the superior hygienic properties of glass before they think of anything else, such as its physical properties. And we can assure you that glass dildos are safe if you use them as you should. It is not easy to break them by accident.

Apart from the shape and the feel of the material, what are the benefits of making dildos from glass?
Andrejs Viks: As we mention before, you get nice design and superior hygienic properties. And in addition to that, you get an art object made by a real artist. You can exhibit it as art and you can use it for your pleasure. All our feelings and senses are linked in a very direct way.

Which products do you sell at the moment? Is there a design that is especially popular?
Andrejs Viks: At the moment, we have 13 types of dildos, all of them available for sale. Of course, we cannot sell thousands of each type since they are pieces of art. And that means a higher price and a longer time to create them. Dildos with gold inserts are particularly popular. We have several versions of glass dildos with gold elements.

Design and quality materials come at a price. In what price range are your products located?
Andrejs Viks: Yes, what you say about design and quality is 100% true. We are not going to sell millions of our dildos, but we sell each dildo as a beloved creation. We place our design objects in the high-end range. This means that wholesale price is usually more than 100€. To find out the exact price and for other information, please, visit us at the upcoming eroFame show.

What makes your glass dildos different from other glass toys?
Andrejs Viks: We make art for gourmands, and every single dildo is unique. Even two with the same name will not be exactly the same.

Who is the typical Glass Muse customer? Which audience do you have in mind when you design your products?
Andrejs Viks: Connoisseurs who uses all senses to experience feelings they want to explore. We do what we like to do and we offer what we believe in.

You will have a stand at the upcoming eroFame trade show. What will you show to the visitors and what are your expectations for the event?
Andrejs Viks: We already had a stand last year, which was the first time for us. It was like a test and reconnaissance. We ware happy with the results, and now we are back even stronger and more confident about the excellence of our products. We will show how art can be used in very pleasant ways.

Are you currently working on new designs? What can we expect from Glass Muse in the future?
Andrejs Viks: All the time, new designs are born in our heads. We want to offer something to the consumer that they do not expect. Surprise is the key word.

Where can your products be bought? Do you work with distributors in Europe?
Andrejs Viks: We do not have distributors in Europe at the moment as we are not a large-scale manufacture, but we are looking forward to establishing new contacts with people who are ready to share our passion. Thank you.