Kiku Handmade is artist Laurie Freivogel’s glass studio, started in 2004 just outside Chicago, Illinois. Her BFA is in drawing, and it was at art school that she fell in love with printmaking. Many years later, she discovered a new medium, fused glass - a frozen-in-time, translucent piece of hard, molten, colorful material. In late 2005, after becoming comfortable with glass fusing, she started experimenting with the two techniques to figure out how to incorporate her imagery, ideas and drawings onto the glass via screen printing.
Using a bold palette and modern sense of design, Laurie screen prints her imagery onto layers of colorful sheet glass before fusing in a kiln. With this technique, she has created a line of fun and functional home goods from coasters and dishes, to platters, bowls and even magnets and ornaments. Her work features pop culture inspired designs, nature-based patterns, and whimsical imagery. Some of her most popular products are her Greetings from Your City line, featuring skylines and iconic city landmarks on coasters, dishes, serving pieces and now magnets, and her Icons coasters, featuring beloved rock stars, authors, artists and more. Her new magnets are sure to be a hit, especially at the holidays, printed with her designs and drawings, city landmarks and Icons. Because she is the designer-maker of all of her goods, custom design is a very popular and accessible option for Laurie’s clients. Kiku Handmade’s gift worthy pieces are featured in nearly one hundred gift shops, galleries and museum stores across the continent.
Laurie has been creating every since she can remember. After she quit her corporate job, she discovered the burgeoning “indie” craft scene happening in Chicago. Yearning for that connection between maker and consumer, she jumped in with both feet. That same spirit continues to drive Kiku Handmade today. Laurie actively seeks out stores that cater to and educate their buyers about handmade, made-in-America, functional art pieces, who are looking for more than overseas made, fad-focused, disposable junk. Kiku’s glass products run the gamut from fun and funky coasters and magnets to sophisticated serving pieces for a formal table, and so much in between. Laurie’s work skews current trends, and offers non-cliché designs in keepsake pieces that will brighten the corners of a room and provoke conversation. Laurie’s goal with her line is to make that connection with her buyers and collectors, to touch on a person’s nostalgia and identity. In the spirit of civic pride, the Greetings from Your City series is dedicated to cities like Chicago, Washington DC, New York City, and more. The Icons series features graphic images of cherished musicians, artists, and authors. Custom work allows stores to bring their own ideas to the table, resulting in one-of-a-kind creations that can help a shop’s offerings stand out, and create the perfect housewarming, wedding or “just because” gift. Additionally, there are always about 2 dozen “off the shelf” designs available to create a cohesive display.