CHRYSOPOULO, Anna - Contemporary Glass Society

Email:anna.chrysopoulo@network.rca.ac.uk

Region:Greater London

Technique:Casting, Cold work, Kiln work

Occupation:Artist, Educator

Discipline:Decorative, Design, Fine art, Functional, Sculptural

Areas of Interest:Competitions, Education, Exhibition, Manufacturing, Marketing, Networking, Publications, Sponsorship, Supplies, Technical queries, Techniques, Workshops

Country:United Kingdom

County:Hertfordshire

Anna Chrysopoulo

In 2001, during the final months of her BA in Fine Art, Anna discovered glass and became captivated by its material qualities and creative possibilities. She went on to pursue and develop this fascination at Westminster Adult Education Service (WAES), where she attained higher national qualifications in kiln-formed glass under the mentorship of Angela Thwaites. Anna further expanded her technical knowledge and professional practice through working with notable glass artists including Max Jacquard, Peter Layton and Dale Chihuly, before returning to WAES, where she had previously studied, as Glass Tutor and Technician. She taught kiln-formed glass there for over a decade before completing her MA in Glass and Ceramics at the Royal College of Art. Anna continues to teach kiln-formed glass at Morley College London, North Kensington.

Dealing with the personal is a strong source of inspiration for Anna; a balance between triangulating the relationship of experiences and the artifacts of her own making. Her work is centred around the theme of relationships; the relationship she has with herself, with others and the environment that surrounds her. It is expressive of her personal experiences and reflects how relationships can influence one’s emotions and state of mind. She states, ‘A face points both ways; in essence whilst one side faces outward, the other is looking inwards to quite another continent or landscape that is invisible to another. Glass as a material enables me to translate and clarify emotional states and the subjective.’ Exploring this theme, her concepts have been translated through a conversation; a relationship in the fusion of glass with metals. The knowledge and understanding of compatibility gained through extensive experimentation of combining these materials is an essential part of her making process. Solid and hollow glass with metal inclusions form the visual language that is now characteristic of her work.