FAIZY CRYSTAL
LANGKAWI CRAFT COMPLEX
Close to the Black Sand Beach on
the road connecting Pantai Kok
and Tanjung Rhu
Opening Times:
Saturday – Thursday, 9.30am – 5pm
1pm – 2pm no demonstrations
Tel: +6 04 9594885
+6 04 9557591
+6 012 4022650
Email: kamarulfaizy@hotmail.com
www.faizycrystal.blogspot.com
www.glasscrystal-kamarulfaizy.blogspot.com
www.faizycrystal-kamarulfaizy.blogspot.com
By Kamila Delart
Although located in a remote corner of the Langkawi Kraft Complex, which in itself is built away from the main tourism spots, Faizy Crystal receives plenty of visitors. With good reason! While the majority of retail stores on the island lure with handicraft imported from the neighboring countries, the unique glass object you will find at the Faizy Crystal showroom are truly Langkawian products. So much so, you can actually enter the adjacent workshop and watch the artisans while they work. (More beautiful pictures !)
Attracted by beautiful items since he was a child, the owner, Kamarul Faizy Roslan, chose to study art at UiTM University in Johor. Excelling at crafting fine ceramics, he was invited along with three fellow students to attend an art school in New Zealand where he got completely mesmerized by the translucent beauty of glass. A blend of sand and metallic oxides heated in a furnace to the extreme temperature of 1,400 °C, the material, flowing like honey, becomes alive with an inner light – just waiting to be transformed in an exquisite piece of art…
After working for a few years as a glass artist for a company based in Kuala Lumpur, Kamarul relocated two decades ago to Langkawi, and although the beginnings were not easy, the mystical island and her breathtaking beauty were such a source of inspiration, Kamarul was determined to stay for good.
Starting with a small workshop, the artist had a dream of opening one day a professional glass studio known for art of the highest quality! Having set his mind on working with raw materials and colors provided exclusively by the world’s best suppliers, he spent years putting aside every cent he could spare to get together the start-up capital he needed. And his patience and perseverance paid eventually off.
The Faizy Crystal which opened in 2003 received over the years numerous awards, Kamarul’s beautiful glass art is a sough-after holiday souvenir for visitors from all over the world and a few custom-made pieces adorn governmental offices…
Which doesn’t really come as a surprise. The paper weights that capture at their very core iridescent hues in abstract patterns are so intriguing, they fuel your imagination, lending you wings when you need to be creative. And no matter what your favorite fragrance, once filled in an exquisite flacon a perfume becomes truly alluring.
The show room features a variety of beautiful pieces from delicate jewelry to extravagant vases, bowls and candle holders that will immerse the space in a rainbow of colors.
If you are staying on the island a little longer, you can order a custom made piece that perfectly fits the ambiance of your home or order VIP gifts for business associates. Planning a prestigious event? Bring in some glamour with a hand-crafted crystal award!
If you are traveling with family, set aside some extra time. Your kids are sure to fall in love with all the colorful birds, fish and exotic sea creatures! And once they hear that they can watch a live demonstration, there is no way you can leave without visiting the workshop.
While you may be joining just for the kids’ sake, observing the artisans as they create their beautiful pieces is a horizon widening experience. Coated with a glowing layer of glass, the iron rod is first rolled into a uniform cylinder and immersed in a bowl with powder, rod or chip color. Briefly re-heated, the piece of glass gets shaped with pliers. It’s quite amazing to watch the skillful grips that transform the generic piece of glass in a blink of an eye into a bird, complete with wings, beak and curious eyes!
And once the master demonstrates the art of glass blowing, you will be definitely fascinated! It can take months until the artisan masters the technique, making sure he releases his breath in a gentle and steady manner to create a glass bubble that is perfectly even.
The best part about joining the demonstration? The opportunity to experience the creation of these unique glass objects first hand will entirely change your prospective – making you truly appreciate the piece of art you are sure to bring back home…
