CGS ‘Bizarre and Surreal’ online exhibition largest ever

As Contemporary Glass Society members know, we bring opportunities to exhibit their work both physically and online and our latest online exhibition, ‘Bizarre and Surreal’ has generated the largest ever response, with 55 artists taking part.

“That’s bizarre!” “How surreal!” When we make these statements do we really know what they mean? To be bizarre can also be described as odd, strange, unusual, grotesque, or weird. In contrast surreal, in relation to an artwork, could mean that the elements in it are combined in a way that you would not normally expect, like having the disorientating, hallucinatory quality of a dream. This immediately conjures up images by Salvador Dali and the Surrealists.

One of those selected to take part is Krista Israel De Jager, whose piece ‘Last Flight Of The Bumblebee’ is shown above. Krista says it “depicts a surreal hybrid – a bumblebee’s body with a human head on a black glass ‘mirror’. It reflects our interconnection with nature and on the alarming decline of wild bee colonies, a quiet crisis threatening ecosystems and food security. The sculpture questions humanity’s impact on nature, climate change, and the effects of intensive farming.”

The piece incorporates flamework, kiln casting, glass fusing, mixed media glass, glassfibre, acrylic resin, silicone and gold pigment.

See how all 55 CGS glass artists responded to this theme via this link. There are all many styles and glass techniques. Work is for sale too, so please support our members with a purchase or commission.

This show continues online until 6 January 2026. If you’re a CGS member, keep an eye out for our future opportunities to exhibit online and in person.