Obituary: Catherine Mahé

We are sad to report that glass artist Catherine Mahé died recently, aged 55.

Catherine was a fused glass artist based in Altrincham who lived in Britain for some 30 years after moving from France.

She was born in Brittany and came to the UK after college, teaching French in Ireland and Wales before moving to Manchester to work at Withington Girls’ School.

Originally a mosaic artist, her work changed dramatically when she bought a hobby fuser kiln to make her own glass mosaic tiles. She quickly became fascinated by glass as a medium and switched to making glass.

Since then, her use of vibrant colours and strong patterns established her as a glass artist with a distinct flair for colour and a variety of patterns in her work.

After making her mark locally in the thriving arts scene around Manchester and Cheshire, she went on to exhibit at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre, The Biscuit Factory in Newcastle, Saltaire and at Cluster Crafts in London. Her most recent exhibitions were at the Hub in Sleaford and York’s Pyramid Gallery.

She was an active member of the Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) and was selected for the ‘Bedazzled – 25 Glass Makers Impress’ exhibition in 2022, marking 25 years of the CGS.

Catherine died in St Ann’s Hospice in Manchester in August after a 14-month battle with ovarian cancer. She leaves a daughter, Corina, and Rob, her partner of 11 years.

Image: Catherine Mahé with one of her distinctive and vibrant glass pieces.