David Yeshia: Guiding Artglas into 2027 with New Artistic and Online Offerings

Using glass as a medium to capture and refract light, David Yeshia seeks to freeze moments of transition, combining myriad elements to manipulate their visual and symbolic effects. Also a metaphor for his life at the time, Yeshia was smashing glass and rebuilding the fragments into something beautiful. A new breed of “artrepreneur,” he emerged from the Covid pandemic bringing art out of the gallery and into the public marketplace by developing accessible and affordable works. 

A self-taught Canadian glass artist known for his signature fused glass techniques, Yeshia has developed innovative methods including his “Glass Netting” technique, “Glascade” and signature “Free Mosaic” forms exploring glass as both structure and light. He was nominated for the Emerging Glass Artist of the Year Award by the Glass Art Society and has created sculptural works for government commissions and collectors across Canada. His work is sold at Walt Disney World, and his process-focused storytelling has attracted over 400,000 followers across social media, with his videos reaching tens of millions of views.

Yeshia attended Concordia University Fine Arts, graduating in 2013 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree with a double major in Theater and Religious Studies. In 2017, as an exotic mushroom cultivator in Montreal, Yeshia’s business was hit hard by the Covid pandemic’s impact on the restaurant and food industries. At 30 years old, he moved back in with his parents in the countryside just outside of Pembroke, Ontario—emotionally drained, uncertain about the future, and feeling like a failure. Dejected, without direction, he began to experiment with glass in the stained glass studio of his father, Jeffrey Melamed, an architect turned stained glass artist. 

Says Yeshia: “When I was struggling and trying to rebuild my life, my family rallied around me. Their enthusiasm for my work gave me the encouragement and confidence to keep going. My mother began attending markets, my father helped with displays, shows, and accounting, and my sister brought her creativity and many great product ideas.”

Yeshia’s business Artglas has expanded to Markham, Ontario, and now employs a staff of seven. Early on, a pivotal meeting with Disney’s Keith Bryan inspired the artist’s early series of fused glass art and eventually led to his ongoing contract to design and produce ornaments for Disney.

In September 2026, Artglas will return to exhibit in “The Transparent Breath,” an International exhibition of glass jewelry held at Venice Glass Week. Specializing in experimental fusing techniques to create contemporary glass jewelry that represents the Canadian identity, Yeshia’s Venice collection showcases his unique talents of incorporating 24-karat gold and silver into the glass.

“This will be our fifth time at Venice Glass Week. It was an honor to be amongst some of the greatest glass artists of our time, in one of the world’s most historic hubs of the arts,” said Yeshia. “And it was overwhelming connecting with artists from all over the world, sharing our work and creativity in such an inspiring environment.”

In 2027, Yeshia’s company will also expand its online education and subscriber platforms, open a gallery and second studio space, and create more room for one-of-a-kind and conceptual work. Artglas also has new commercial projects in development, including a Disney concept still awaiting approval.

Says Yeshia: “As Artglas grew, I had to learn how to wear many different hats, including artist, maker, employer, marketer, content creator, educator, salesperson, and business owner, while still preserving the meaning, symbolism, and quality of the work.”