DAR ES SALAAM: IN the heart of Dar es Salaam, at the Russian Cultural Centre, an event was unfolding that would leave the audience both astounded and inspired.
On this particular Monday evening, a man with a gentle smile and an air of quiet wisdom stood before a crowd, poised to share an art form that was as unique as it was mesmerising.
The man, Yuri Lenshin, a 75-yearold Russian artist, has spent more than half of his life transforming ordinary mirrors and glass into shapes that speak not just through form, but through fire.
Lenshin’s art is not something you can simply describe with words. It is an experience that engages all of the senses an encounter that makes you feel like a part of the creation, even if you are just an observer.
The room was filled with a sense of anticipation as people of all ages took their seats, their eyes fixed on the elderly artist who, with a flicker of fire in one hand and a piece of glass in the other, seemed about to conjure something magical from thin air.
As Lenshin greeted the crowd, his glasses catching the soft glow of the gas flame he had set up, it was clear that his art was not about grandeur or ostentation. It was something simple and intimate, a kind of quiet elegance that spoke of years of learning, mastering and understanding.
His first move was deceptively easy he held a piece of glass above the gas flame and as the heat licked the edges, something unexpected happened: the glass began to change shape. It didn’t burn or melt in the way you might expect; instead, it curved, twisted and morphed into something new.
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And that was the first lesson Yuri wanted to impart to the audience: “The key to creating anything is first changing its shape.” The crowd gasped in awe, but no one was quite sure what he was making. Was it a goat? A horse? The audience buzzed with guesses, their voices blending with the crackle of the flame. “What are you making?” a lady finally shouted out, her curiosity echoed by the children in the crowd. Lenshin smiled, his hands still busy guiding the glass through the fire and replied, “You will see. I’m sure you will love it.” The room was filled with a mixture of intrigue and uncertainty as the piece took form. With every twist of the glass, every movement of his hands, the shape was slowly becoming clearer.
And then, in less than 30 minutes, he moved back and the crowd saw it a pig, perfectly formed, crafted from the once shapeless piece of glass. A collective breath was drawn, followed by applause, but it wasn’t just for the piece itself.
It was for the process the way that Yuri had transformed something so simple into something extraordinary, using nothing but fire, glass and skill honed over a lifetime. It was one of those rare moments when you realise that what seemed easy to the artist was, in fact, a product of decades of patience and practice.
Yuri Lenshin, in all his wisdom, had spent 56 years perfecting his craft. Half of that time, he spent working in a laboratory, making glassware for scientific purposes. The other half of his career, he dedicated to creating works of art shaping glass, bending it with fire to give life to his visions.
“My father saw a talent in me,” he shared “and he encouraged me to follow this path. I started in the laboratory, creating laboratory equipment and I enjoyed it. But later, I decided to pursue my passion.
Now, I do what I love every day.” Over the course of his career, Yuri has exhibited his work in countries across the world: England, Sweden, Italy, France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Canada, Finland and Poland. He’s traveled to Egypt, Ethiopia and Benin in Africa, but it was his stop in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, that brought his art to a captivated audience that included people of all ages and backgrounds. Despite the fire and glass, Yuri was quick to dismiss the idea that his art was dangerous.
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“For years, I have done this without injury,” he said confidently. “The process is safe. The gas fire does not harm me and neither does the glass. It’s a method that requires skill, but it is not dangerous.” He paused, giving the audience time to digest this and added: “Mastering any art takes time and patience. But there is no harm in what I do. It’s an art that anyone can practice, with care.” As the exhibition continued, the crowd grew even more engaged. Near the end of his performance, Yuri invited the audience to try their hands at creating their own glass art. He showed them how to blow gently onto the glass, using their breath to shape it into different forms. “Go slowly,” he advised.
“Don’t breathe in too fast. Just let the air guide you.” The audience, young and old, gathered around eagerly and one by one, they took turns trying their hand at this unique form of creation.
Laughter and gasps of delight filled the air as the participants experienced the art firsthand. It was a rare opportunity to engage with an artist, to not just witness but become a part of the process.
The joy of creating something, no matter how simple, was reflected in the beaming faces of the participants. But Yuri’s work was more than just an exhibition; it was a story told through glass.
One of his most captivating pieces was inspired by ballet the fluidity, the grace and the sometimes painful beauty of the dance. With each movement of his hands, the glass seemed to move in tandem with an invisible ballet dancer, twisting and turning in mid-air. It was a perfect expression of the art of movement, of transition and transformation much like the way the glass itself had transformed under his skilled hands.
By the end of the two-day exhibition, it was clear that Yuri Lenshin’s art had touched everyone in the room. From the children, their eyes wide with wonder, to the adults, who found themselves once again captivated by the simplicity and complexity of creativity, the experience was unforgettable. It was an exhibition that wasn’t just about watching; it was about feeling, experiencing and becoming part of something bigger than yourself.
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Through the fire and the glass, Yuri had opened a window into a world where art is not something separate from life, but something that flows through it, shaping it, transforming it. In the end, it was a reminder of how art can connect us all across generations, across cultures and even across time. In that room, on that evening, Yuri Lenshin didn’t just create glass animals and shapes.
He created an experience, one that will stay with those who were fortunate enough to witness it for years to come. Yuri, made things seem easy but when you attempt you realise it is not that easy and when you do it, it’s a smile that will shine in your face and that is what Daily News experienced on the eve of Monday at the Centre.
