A Conversation with Stained Glass Artist Sylvia Laks, a member of the Stained Glass Association of America.
We've had the pleasure of visiting the stained-glass studio of Sylvia Laks and her husband, Enrique, in Heredia, Costa Rica. Set in the beautiful hills outside of San José, the studio is a space shaped by creativity, collaboration, and a strong sense of community.
Sylvia Laks, renowned for her stained-glass work in both ecclesiastical and residential settings, is widely regarded as a pioneer in her field. As the only non-American member of the Stained Glass Association of America—an accolade that reflects her exceptional skill and global influence—Sylvia’s practice spans the restoration of heritage sites and the creation of contemporary designs.
While stained glass is often associated with grand cathedrals and public spaces, Sylvia is redefining its role by demonstrating how it can enhance private homes. From modern, minimalist aesthetics to intricate, nature-inspired pieces, Sylvia’s creations bring light, colour, and personality into living spaces, offering homeowners a unique way to elevate their environments.
In the following exchange, Sylvia shares her perspective with me, Belinda Seppings of MÍRAME, on the potential of stained glass in homes, her collaborative process with clients and architects, the importance of balancing historical preservation with modern innovation and of course her inclusion in the Stained Glass Association of America.
Interview with Stained Glass Artist Sylvia Laks.
Sylvia Laks in her studio. Photography | Julio Sequeira
Belinda Seppings:
Stained glass is often seen in churches or large public spaces, but how do you think stained glass can bring beauty or meaning into someone’s personal living space?
Sylvia:
Yes, there is this myth that stained glass artist is only for religious temples, which is a big mistake. I can design and build from very modern stained glass with clean minimalist lines with a lot of colour or with sobriety of colour to very elaborate stained glass, such as the jungles painted in grisaille in stained glass with which people can feel that the same jungle is in their own home.
Stained glass can be a beautiful way to shape spaces intelligently with light and colour. I design stained glass that affect the atmosphere of a residence in a very pleasant and harmonious way by giving the entrance of light harmonious colours and shapes, whether modern or classic, which beautify the environment.
Belinda Seppings:
Your work clearly shows how deeply stained glass can impact a space. I’m curious — what first drew you to this art form, and how has your relationship with it evolved over the years?
Sylvia:
What first captivated me was the way colour and light come together to create an atmosphere that’s unlike anything else. When those two elements are in harmony, the effect is transformative — whether in a home, a hotel, a church, or any other setting. Over time, I’ve come to see stained glass not just as decorative, but as a way to shape how people feel within a space.
Guidance for Professionals | Incorporating Stained Glass In Your Home Designs
Belinda Seppings:
As stained glass becomes more visible in modern projects, I imagine you’re working with a growing number of architects and collectors. What would you say to those considering incorporating it into their work?
Sylvia:
Many architects are not interested in stained glass due to their lack of information on the subject, as they have the mistaken concept that stained glass spoils their design and, even worse, because they do not know everything that integrating stained glass into their architectural design implies, which is why they require more information on the subject. Stained glass can beautify, highlight and enhance a residence, giving it greater elegance and style, making them unique residences.
It is important that the architect take stained glass into account from the very moment he begins to design the residence in order to be able to integrate it harmoniously with the architectural design of the building, whether it is a residence, a hotel or an institution.
Collectors who love art may also consider stained glass art pieces as collectible, if not more so, than oil paintings, not least because they remain perfectly preserved for centuries. Although stained glass requires windows for light to pass through, it can also be displayed in fine wooden boxes illuminated from within, just like light boxes (“backlit panels”) mounted on a wall.”
Stained Glass | Modern Directions
Belinda Seppings:
Stained glass can shape architectural spaces in significant ways. How do you envision your work being integrated into modern designs, and what would you like architects or designers to know about these possibilities?
Sylvia:
Much of this question has already been answered previously. In order to achieve a satisfactory result of the stained glass windows that integrates with the architecture of the building, the most important thing is the communication between the architect, the clients and the stained glass artist so that together they can design the stained glass windows that integrate with the architecture of the building and are to the liking and satisfaction of the clients.
Sylvia Laks, The Last of the Mohicans, Stained glass panels
Belinda Seppings:
You’ve received significant international recognition for your work — including a particularly rare honour of being the only non-American member of the Stained Glass Association of America, which is a significant achievement. What does this recognition mean to you?
Sylvia:
It means a great deal to me. Being part of the Stained Glass Association of America is a recognition of the technical standard and dedication of my studio here in Costa Rica. It confirms that our work is respected internationally, and that stained glass made here can stand alongside the best in the world.
Belinda Seppings:
How do you feel your Costa Rican heritage shape the themes and stories in your stained-glass art?
Sylvia:
I think my love for nature inspired by the forests, fauna and all the natural beauty of my country are a hugely important part of the inspiration for my work.
Belinda Seppings:
Let's go back to your use of grisaille, which is an element that stands out in your work. This is a traditional technique that adds remarkable depth and realism, involving painting in monochrome, usually in shades of grey, directly onto the glass, then firing it in a kiln to fix the image — allowing for fine detail, shading, and depth not possible through coloured glass alone. Can you tell us more about how it supports your designs?
Sylvia:
The grisaille technique gives a third dimension to my stained glass windows, allowing me to achieve the desired realism and expressions, which is a hallmark of my work for this type of stained glass, whether landscapes, religious stained glass and especially the human figure.
The grisaille process is me applying paint made from metallic oxides mixed with finely ground glass powder, then fire the piece at 1080°F (582°C) to fuse the design permanently into the surface of the glass. This technique allows me to reach an expressive level that represents the required theme, whether mystical in religious characters or in the characters of my fantasies; and also in the jungles that my clients from around the world who truly love nature ask me for.
Belinda Seppings:
Can you talk us through the creative process – what does it look like, from the initial idea to the finished stained-glass piece?
Sylvia:
Since stained glass windows are usually commissions. I start by listening to the clients and the ideas they have about the stained glass they want. For each specific project I need to know where the light comes from in order to decide which glass to use; and I need to choose the pigments when it comes to stained glass painted and baked in grisaille, since light plays a fundamental role in creating a beautiful atmosphere.
After having managed to understand the client's desire, I prepare a design proposal that I present to the clients for their approval or, perhaps, for them to request changes, which I carry out until I achieve total client satisfaction. From that moment on, I dedicate myself to converting that design into a stained glass window.
Sylvia Laks, Stained Glass
Belinda Seppings:
Your work in preserving historical stained glass in Costa Rica is extensive. What has been the most meaningful restoration project for you, and why?
Sylvia:
I have restored hundreds of century-old stained glass windows in more than forty religious temples, stained glass windows that had been executed by different artists from various old European studios whose artistic creativity differed among them both in the glass and in the pigments, the stroke and the styles of each artist. I had to study all of them in each temple before restoring them in order to maintain the same design characteristic of each artist and recover the original beauty of each stained glass window.
The most important restoration project that I have carried out was that of the Basilica of Our Lady of Los Angeles in Cartago, the most important temple in Costa Rica due to the great devotion of Costa Ricans to the Virgin of Los Angeles and whose stained glass windows were built more than a century ago in one of the best workshops in Germany; there are 30 stained glass windows that were quite destroyed with many broken or missing pieces that needed to be replaced.
I dedicated three years of my life to this restoration in order to achieve something fundamental: that no change is felt in the original stained glass window.
Sylvia Laks, Noche, Oil on Linen
Belinda Seppings:
You’re also an accomplished painter. I'd love to hear more about how your process differs when working with oil versus stained glass, and do those two practices speak to one another?
Sylvia:
The biggest difference between a stained glass artist painting in grisaille and an oil painting is that in a stained glass window you start by defining the types of glass to first achieve the darkest accents and then darken until you reach the necessary light, because stained glass works with light, which passes through it. The process is the other way around when it comes to oils or pastels, since you have to illuminate by applying paint on an initial drawing, giving it colour to achieve the appropriate values of light and shadow.
Closing Note
Sylvia’s practice highlights how stained glass can bring a distinct identity to private residences, transforming spaces with light, colour, and design. By combining centuries-old techniques with a fresh approach to form, light, and storytelling, she makes stained glass accessible and relevant to contemporary life.
Whether part of a new build, a restoration, or a deeply personal commission, her pieces offer lasting beauty and a sense of place — not only in Costa Rica, but for collectors, homeowners, and architects around the world. There is a reason Sylvia is accepted into the Stained Glass Association of America.
Stained Glass Association of America
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