Born in Toledo, Ohio in 1945, Leon Applebaum grew up in the city that would become the birthplace of American Studio Glass. While studying art in Toledo, Leon initially aspired to become a high school art teacher. However, this dream shifted dramatically after he enrolled in his first hot glass class. Captivated by the molten material, Leon developed a lifelong passion for working with hot glass that would define his artistic career. Fully immersing himself in the world of glass, Leon earned a BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art and later an MA from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. Though he achieved early success exhibiting and selling his work as an undergraduate, Leon sought further education beyond what American universities could provide at the time. In 1973, he traveled to Sweden to study traditional glass-forming techniques at the Orrefors Glass School. This experience introduced him to the Swedish style of optically thick glass, which would have a lasting influence on his work. After spending a year studying and working at Boda Glass in Sweden, Leon returned to the U.S. to pursue an MFA in glass at the Rochester Institute of Technology. It was during this time that he began combining Swedish techniques with his own concepts, particularly his use of the color spectrum and his signature design element: trapping air bubbles within the glass. Over the next 25 years, Leon continued to innovate with new ideas, techniques, and designs in hot glass. He taught at RIT and Naples Mill Art School in Naples, NY, and conducted workshops nationwide. His work is included in the permanent collections of prestigious institutions such as the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., the Corning Museum of Glass in New York, and the Ajeto Glass Museum in Novy Bor, Czech Republic. Today, Leon lives with his family in Prattsburg, NY, where he works at his Sahaj Glass Studio. In his textured series, Leon uses tools to manipulate the surface of hot glass, creating pieces that exploit the transparent and reflective qualities of the material. His contemporary sculptures, however, take a non-traditional approach, where he cuts and assembles cooled blown glass using ultraviolet glue. This method allows him to explore ideas that would not be possible with hot glass alone. His sculptures often incorporate circular forms, symbolizing the cyclical nature of life. Looking forward, Leon plans to focus more on his sculptural glass work, continuing to push the boundaries of glass art.