In the exhibition Values, the Estonian artist Kati Kerstna raises questions about what is truly valuable. How valuable, diverse, or poor would the world, or a specific environment, be if certain elements were missing? Or if there were more of them? Would existence even be possible at all?
Kati Kerstna is known for combining artistic expression and environmental advocacy, creating thought-provoking works using glass, light and mixed media. Since graduating from the Estonian Academy of Arts in 2001, she has been featured in numerous international exhibitions, addressing themes such as environmental pollution, global warming and deforestation through her innovative installations.
In the exhibition at S12 Gallery in Norway, Kerstna presents the works Values 1 and 2, two large hands made of glass hanging from the ceiling, in the dark gallery space. The first work, ‘Values 1’ is about bees. Kerstna emphasises that it may sound like a cliché, and everyone has heard it many times before, but without bees, life would not be possible on this planet.
Staying alive depends on the diversity of species. In 2001, 76 different plant species were identified and recorded in a square metre of Laelatu wooded meadow in Estonia, making it the second most diverse in the world in terms of species richness. ‘Values 2’ presents the plants of this famous square metre.
Through this exhibition, Kerstna challenges viewers to reflect on the consequences of imbalance in natural biological diversity and its impact on life as we know it today.
On Saturday 10 February 2024, at 2pm, Kati Kerstna will hold an artist talk. In addition to discussing her own work, she will present a selection of Estonian glass artists.
The exhibition runs until 17 March 2024 at S12 Gallery, Bontelabo 2, 5003 Bergen, Norway.
2024 marks 20 years of the Collect fair as the leading authority on collectable contemporary craft and design, presented by the UK’s Crafts Council and taking place at London’s Somerset House from 1 to 3 March 2024 (previews on 28 and 29 February).
Launched in 2004 as the first international fair dedicated to contemporary craft and design, Collect is committed to, and continues to raise the profile of, exceptional contemporary craft to the collectors’ market.
At a time when contemporary craft has never been more sought after, Collect continues to offer an unparalleled opportunity to acquire new, museum-quality work from living artists internationally, all made within the last five years, with many pieces commissioned especially for the fair.
Close to 40 specialist galleries from across the globe, representing over 400 artist makers, have been selected by an expert advisory panel for this milestone edition.
The range of disciplines and materials featured at Collect includes glass, ceramics, lacquer, furniture, art jewellery, metalwork, textile and fibre, wood and paper, plus pieces embracing more unusual materials, such as resin, mica, corn-starch and plastics, along with reused, repurposed and recycled materials.
Alongside the international galleries, Collect Open, the fair’s platform for experimental proposals and installations by individual artists and collectives, will present 14 exciting new projects by artists hailing from Canada, Portugal and across the UK, including Northern Ireland. Collect Open participants are selected by a separate expert advisory panel and are invited to produce work that challenges material, social, political or personal perceptions.
“Reaching this milestone edition reinforces not only Collect’s pivotal position as the authority for contemporary craft and design but also strengthens London as a leading cultural destination for the craft and design sector. The fair has continuously pushed boundaries to bring the best in class of new artworks to the market allowing collectors to buy with confidence. The diverse range of galleries for this edition, representing the most exciting international artists making work today, provide yet again exceptional rich content to explore,” commented Isobel Dennis, Collect Fair Director.
The Collect 2024 talks programme will bring together leading experts and voices to celebrate craft, explore contemporary issues and inspire audiences. View the full programme.
Among the participants celebrating glass art and lighting, Vessel Gallery will be presenting: Steven Edwards, a first-time exhibitor to Collect, represented internationally and in the Chatsworth collection; Olivia Walker, who will be creating a triptych for Collect which is her biggest wall installation to date; a new series by Enemark & Thompson, plus new glass sculptures of shipwrecks from James Devereux.
Bullseye Projects, from the US, will debut collaborative work by Joshua Kerley and new artist Guy Marshall-Brown using combining Kerley’s innovative pate de verre works with Marshall-Brown’s expertise in 3D printing and rapid prototyping.
Collect Open will feature glass and metals by Browning Lewis (Karen Browning and Jon Lewis), as well as glass work by Sophie Southgate, who recently completed her MA in Ceramics & Glass at the Royal College of Art with the support of a Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust Britford Bridge Trust Scholarship.
Sophie Southgate’s glass work ‘Acid’.
Collect event details
Thursday 29 February 2024 Private View Day 11.00-18.00 (invitation holders and tickets available to purchase) – £60.00 Private View Evening 18.00-21.00 (invitation holders and tickets available to purchase) – £38.00
Friday 1 – Sunday 3 March 2024 – open to the public Open 11.00-18.00 General Admission: £27.00; Concession: £21.00
Main image (left to right): ‘Inversion’ (2023), glass, nylon hardware by Scott Benefield (represented by Design-Nation, UK); ‘Stuck Up’ (2023), silver plate, copper, pewter, ceramic, wax, graphite and steel by David Clarke (represented by BR Gallery, China) and ‘Light It Up’ (2023), earthenware, glaze, lustre, by Mathieu Frossard (represented by Galerie REVEL, France).
In March 2024 the life and work of leading glass designer and artist Kathryn M Holford (1962-2023) will be highlighted in an exhibition at Fen Ditton Gallery, Cambridge, where she was born.
The exhibition has been organised in collaboration with Kathryn’s husband Mark Rowden, and will showcase some of Kathryn’s most significant works in glass and paint, including a rare re-issue of a limited-edition vase made in collaboration with master glassmaker Bob Crooks, with whom Kathryn worked with on many of her designs.
Kathryn was an accomplished artist, sculptor and award-winning international designer. Born on 7 June 1962, in Fen Ditton, Cambridge, her artistic journey began under the alias Katy Holford. Accepted to the Royal College of Art, she demonstrated exceptional talent, earning recognition early in her career and awarded the Rosenthal Young Designer of the Year Award in 1988.
Kathryn etched her name among renowned brands, contributing her skills to household names and luxury brands like Wedgwood, Atlantis Crystal and Perrier Jouet. Her bespoke pieces and sculptures grace the rooms of The Savoy, Claridge’s and Malmaison Hotels, as well as Royal Palaces and private residences globally. They have also appeared in numerous television shows and films, including Cumbria Crystal designs in James Bond and Downton Abbey.
In 2004, Kathryn embraced a new challenge by winning the Eureka initiative sponsored by Laurent-Perrier. Subsequently, she took on the role of CEO and Creative Director at Cumbria Crystal, where she oversaw a bustling studio and continued to create beautiful designs in glass. Her dedication and innovative approach earned her accolades and awards, solidifying her legacy in the design world.
During Kathryn’s years of glass design, she worked with one of the UK’s most established glassmakers, Bob Crooks. Bob has a cast designed by Kathryn in his studio and enough of her materials to make a limited edition of 10 vases, which will be available exclusively at the exhibition.
Kathryn’s artistic journey reached a turning point in 2016 when, upon moving to Normandy with Mark, she decided to step away from the pressures of the commercial design world. In her diary she wrote: ‘I discovered the latent desire to paint… The desire had been pushed down so deep when I was very young that it took some 50-odd years of life, therapy, and a need for a life change to surface… Being a beginner again was hard. I had been at the top of my profession just a few months before. My ego was in outrage. However, what I loved the intimacy of painting. It is just me and the canvas. No clients, marketeers, factories, and workshops to get in between me and my creative process.’
Fen Ditton Gallery manager, Hannah Munby commented, “It feels very poignant to be celebrating Kathryn’s life with this exhibition here at Fen Ditton Gallery, not only because it is remarkably in the village where Kathryn was born and spent her first years, but also because she and Mark were regular visitors and supporters of the gallery before she passed away. Kathryn was always enthusiastic about the work we did here, so it feels right to honour her with this show, back in the village where it all began for her.”
Fen Ditton Gallery (est. 2018) is a contemporary art gallery on the outskirts of Cambridge, run by mother and daughter duo, Lotte Attwood and Hannah Munby, with curatorial and programme advice from independent curator Amanda Game.
The exhibition is on from 9 March to 1 April 2024 at Fen Ditton Gallery, 23 High Street, Fen Ditton, Cambridge CB5 8ST, UK. https://www.fendittongallery.com
Image: Kathryn M Holford working with Bob Crooks. Photo: Mark Rowden.
Glass artist Kate Mercy of Kate Mercy Glass discusses her entry for a selected art competition and exhibition on the theme ‘Metamorphosis’
This wasn’t the first competition I had entered, but it was a step up from previous ones and I believed it would give me the push to create something larger and more artistic. It was the prospect of stretching myself that appealed most.
The organisers accepted media other than paintings and photographs and I felt that a 3D glass piece would fit their criteria.
The theme was ‘Metamorphosis’, though I found later that few seemed to take much notice. Nevertheless, I did, and I came up with a plan for a jellyfish. These creatures go through a number of stages of metamorphosis during their lives, although I did not know that before my research.
This was to be the largest piece I had made and probably the most complex, both in terms of working with the glass and the engineering aspects. I wanted the piece to have impact and make people think, ‘Wow! How did she do that?’
The next question was how to make the piece and to decide how to mount it. Only after I had finished it did I realise the harder question was how I would get it to the exhibition in one piece! But more of that later.
In all, ‘Jelly’, as I was now calling him, went through four firings, first to get the main fused pieces together, next to add additional texture, plus two further firings to achieve the desired shapes. The rest was assembly. The mount was deliberately designed both to show him floating at a jaunty angle and so he could be detached.
I entered Jelly for the exhibition and sat back and waited. I was delighted when I found that out of 1,100 entries, Jelly was just one of 138 selected. As well as feeling personal satisfaction, I thought this was also recognition of the potential of glass as a medium for artistic expression.
While the exhibition was only 50 miles away, the thought of transporting Jelly was daunting. He weighed 10kg and had long, fragile, glass tendrils extending delicately from him glass body. The base was sturdy and, once detached, sat in the boot of the car. But the main body and tendrils needed both support and restraint. As glass is fragile the restraint had to be planned and minimised. In the end my husband and I made a purpose-built cushion for him to sit on upright (actually upside down). This also stopped any movement without the piece having to be tied in any way. We next taped this to a sturdy tray. Though he was now secure, I was not going to take any chances. I spent the entire journey with Jelly and his cushion/tray on my lap while my husband drove … very carefully.
Carrying him into the exhibition hall, the organiser saw him straight away and said, “I wondered how you were going to get him here!” Clearly there had been much discussion. The organiser was nervous of touching him and let us put him in place on his plinth; this would be Jelly’s new home for the next two weeks.
Most of the other pieces on display were paintings and photographs but there were other 3D pieces, mainly in metal or wood. Jelly was the only glass piece.
On the night of the judging we went more in hope than expectation. Sadly, Jelly didn’t win a prize, but many of the other artists and viewers said how much they loved him and how wonderful he was. Sure enough, a number of people asked, “How …?”
The overall experience was precisely what I had wanted – to be stretched in creating my design and putting it into reality, the joy of working on Jelly and then the exhibition itself. I may not have won a prize, but I’ve already decided what my piece for next year’s competition will be. I’ve told the organiser that it will be even bigger and appear more fragile than Jelly. He is so looking forward to it (not!).
Richard Roberts’ creative journey with glass was sparked by watching a glassblowing demonstration. This inspired him to learn the craft and, after trying glassblowing, he specialised in cast glass processes before the freedom and immediacy of glassblowing tempted him back. Here, Richard explains more about how his practice has evolved.
My journey with creative glass started by chance when I saw a glassblowing demonstration at the Red House Cone in Stourbridge, West Midlands, back in 2008. I was immediately mesmerised by the molten glass and how it could be manipulated, and said to myself, “I want to do that.” I enrolled at Dudley College the following year.
I attended a City and Guilds course in 2009-2010 and followed this with the Associateship in Glass course from 2010-11. This was when I started to learn glassblowing and open cast Petrobond sand casting, which I found extremely tricky and frustrating as there were so many imperfections in the finished pieces. I cast an Art Deco-inspired elephant and that later expanded into a range of open cast animals. This led me to try kiln-cast glass (effectively the lost wax process) when I started my MA in glass at Wolverhampton University the following year.
Cast animals. Photo: Simon Bruntnell.
I’ve always found glassblowing extremely difficult, so I guess I took the easy option of making glass sculptures on my MA. I had been a commercial sculptor previously – designing and modelling figurative originals for porcelain and resin limited editions and mass production – so making glass sculptures came naturally to me.
Over three years I ended up pushing the technical limits of kiln-cast glass and then core casting. Core casting is when you create an empty space in the body of the glass but it appears as a solid object within it, as used in my piece ‘Rain Reveller’.
Detail of ‘Rain Reveller’. Photo: Simon Bruntnell.
At my final MA assessment, the table consisted of an array of fragmented failures where I had pushed the technical feasible limits of core casting. Fortunately, I don’t think it affected my grade.
In addition, along the way, I had produced a body of work including ‘Young Minotaur in Arcadia’, ‘Fishman’, ‘Flying Fishman’ and ‘Triton & Siren’. I’m a keen regular swimmer, and played water polo at the time, so I wanted to explore designs featuring the human figure in watery environments, and I tried to express haptic sensations of being in water. This developed into a planned quartet of works revolving around the four elements of nature: wind/air, water, earth and fire.
‘Flying Fishman’ shows Richard’s expertise with cast glass processes. Photo: Simon Bruntnell.
My piece ‘Aquatic Tondo’ was made using the centrifugal resin sand casting process, wherein molten glass was poured into a mould and immediately spun around at high speed until the glass solidified or reached the sides. This was an exciting and unpredictable technique that was a bit of a hit-or-miss event.
‘Aquatic Tondo’ shows Richard’s interest in creating figures in watery environments. Photo: Simon Bruntnell.
Later, I became an Artist in Residence at Wolverhampton University and reverted back to ‘simpler’ kiln-casting methods to make a set of animal/human composite figures. A Minotaur, ‘Foxman’, ‘Ravenman’ and an ‘Owlman’ that I called ‘An Encounter of Curiosity’. Even these pieces were not without their technical challenges.
‘An Encounter of Curiosity’. Photo: Simon Bruntnell.
After making these glass sculptures that entailed lengthy mould-making and coldworking processes, I longed for the immediacy of glassblowing – even though this method presented its own difficulties.
Glassblowing is where my practice is focused now, with some fused glass work. I’ve returned to Dudley College for the Associateship in Glass course, which involved a forced two-year break during the pandemic.
Fused glass dish made with Bullseye glass. Photo by the artist.
In my previous life in the sphere of commercial figurative sculpture, whether it involved design on my part or not, I had to work within very strict parameters and had no say about the colour of the product. I created a range of bronzes and tried to use some colourful patinas instead of the regular bronze colour, but the field was limited. In contrast, glassblowing offers the opportunity to use colour; I was like a child in a toy shop. Paintings by El Greco, Pierre Bonnard, Howard Hodgkin and Patrick Heron, among many other painters, as well as our garden (created by my partner Mike and, to a much lesser extent, me), have inspired the use of colours in my blown glass pieces. We have plants in flower every day of the year and plenty of evergreens to clothe the garden well in winter. In gardening you learn how to use complementary colours in a pleasing way. This is very dependent on personal ‘taste’, but it always helps to use occasional flashes of slightly discordant colours as accents to enliven a flower border or a piece of glass.
‘Blown Piece 3’ features additions like bubbles and stringers. Photo by the artist.
Full circle
I feel I’ve come full circle and returned to the wonder of seeing the ‘alive’ molten glass during that first glassblowing demonstration at the Red House Cone 15 years ago. I never tire of the properties of glass – at one moment a fluid in flux, and in my hands an unpredictable substance, and then a fixed, solid, frozen entity leaving me with the memories and history of its manipulation.
I try to use a variety of elements, such as bubbles, trails, stringers, glass spring sections, frits, glass chips and offcuts, plus copper wires and foils in layers to emphasise the transparency and original fluidity of the glass. In particular, I like using metallic stringers or trails on the surface too. My aim here is to separate the surface from the activity inside. The idea is for my pieces to express fluid movement and flux.
Ironically, acknowledging my technical limitations with glassblowing has given me a lot of freedom to break the rules and – being at a certain mature age – not be bothered about what other people think. I am free from being relentlessly judged by others in the restrictive world of commercial decorative objet d’art.
Much planning goes into my blown glass pieces, but inevitably they never turn out quite how I expected. I find myself dancing with chance, for better or worse, but that’s the frustration and the obsessive attraction of glass. It’s essential that the hand of a human being is at work. To my shame, I hadn’t come across the work of Sam Herman, one of the pioneers of the studio glassblowing movement, until five years ago. His work certainly encouraged me to try and be more free and loose with form and content. It’s good see the work of other glass artists from around the world on Instagram, which reassures me that what I’m trying to do, in my modest way, isn’t quite so daft.
‘Blown Piece 4’ is an example of the more fluid and free work Richard is creating today. Photo by the artist.
Sales and exhibitions
In the past, I sold my work in galleries in Much Wenlock, Cornwall and Hay-on Wye, and exhibited in London and at the International Festival of Glass in Stourbridge. For three years I exhibited at the Oak Hall at Westonbirt Arboretum with a group of glass and ceramic students who had also studied at Wolverhampton University, which proved successful.
More recently, I’ve done well at the Midlands Art Centre (MAC) pre-Christmas Arts Markets in Birmingham. It’s great to meet customers and to see how they react to my work. Such support is very encouraging and inspires me to carry on ploughing my own creative furrow with glass.
About the artist
Richard Roberts is based in Walsall, West Midlands. See more of his work on his website: https://www.richardrobertsglass.co.uk/ or via Instagram: @Richard.Roberts1
Main feature image: ‘Blown Piece 7’ includes metallic stringers, circles, chips, bubbles and copper wire and is one Richard’s latest pieces. Photo by the artist.
International artist David Reekie, one of the UK’s leading glass sculptors, is holding a one-man show at the Corn Hall, Diss, Norfolk, UK, opening on 23 March 2024.
The show, ‘David Reekie: The Abstract Figure in Glass’ collects together David’s expressive drawings and glass sculptures, providing an opportunity to see a comprehensive body of work from an artist who has been working with glass for over 50 years.
David’s drawings and sculptures are inspired by the tensions and temptations of society that pull people in different directions.
“Drawings are key to all my work; they are the beginning where I have time to think and pull together emotions and frustrations of the complex world in which we live. My drawings are very rarely seen and this show is a great opportunity to bring together my 2D expressions with 3D finished sculptures.”
Although David’s work is seen across the world, it is unusual to be able to view both drawings and finished sculptures in one location in the UK.
There will be a chance to meet the artist from 2pm on the opening day (23 March) and the event runs until 27 April 2024
Glass artists wanting to hone their skills and take their craft to the next level should apply for the latest round of grants offered by the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST).
There are three fund categories available, with grants of up to £18,000 for Scholarships, up to £10,000 for Emerging Makers and up to £12,000 for Apprenticeship training.
Applications close on Monday 12 February 2024 at 5pm.
Find out more about these great opportunities and apply via this link.
Successful applicants are often supported beyond their funding and training by QEST, with the chance to show their work at prestigious venues and gain valuable publicity.
For example, the QEST Northern Ireland Showcase Exhibition, from 1 February to 22 March 2024, highlights QEST alumni from the island of Ireland. The exhibition will be held in the Craft NI Gallery, which is Belfast’s only dedicated craft venue. Glass artists Scott Benefield, Laura Quinn and Andrea Spencer will be taking part. The Gallery is open Monday to Saturday from 10am-5pm. It is located at 115-119 Royal Avenue, Belfast, BT1 1FF, Northern Ireland.
In addition, QEST alumni will be exhibiting at the leading annual Collect 2024 at Somerset House in London (1-3 March 2024), which will be celebrating its 20th edition. Among them will be Sophie Southgate, who recently completed her MA in Ceramics & Glass at the Royal College of Art with the support of a QEST Britford Bridge Trust Scholarship. On this course she transitioned from a purely ceramics practice to casting in glass, developing a new material-led methodology to explore geometry, architecture and places of transience. Working with blocks of cast glass that are joined to become segments, Sophie finds a playfulness in the infinite colour combinations and iterations.
QEST will be at stand W5 in the West Wing during Collect. Tickets go on sale on 15 January 2024 here.
Image: ‘Drift’ cast glass by Sophie Southgate. Photo credit: Sophie Southgate.
Swedish glass artist Ulrika Barr likes to contrast blown glass with textured cast glass, encouraging curiosity in the viewer and engagement with her work. Linda Banks finds out more.
What led you to start working with glass?
In my case it was my mother – she was a creative person and worked as a preschool teacher. She used a lot of creativity when she worked with the children at school and in our home. We painted every day when I was growing up and, when I got older and found joy in the wood shop or with metal or clay, and then finally glass, she was always there as my biggest supporter.
She was also a collector of glass, so she took me to visit a glass studio when I was 16. I became so fascinated by the material – mesmerised really. Therefore, when I graduated, I looked up where to start learning the trade and found Orrefors Glass School, where I stayed for three years.
What glass techniques have you used and which do you prefer?
Since I’ve been blowing glass for 19 years now, I have tried a lot of different techniques, but I’m mostly drawn to sculpture and the abstract form. Right now, I’m exploring blown glass combined with sand-cast glass, but I also like to work with stained glass.
‘Withered Shell’ (2023). Photo: Kjell B Persson.
What is your creative approach? Do you draw your ideas out or dive straight in with the materials?
In my work, a lot happens in the hot shop when I’m working with the material; one thing leads to another. A mistake can be a good thing; I work with the chance, the flaws. But, of course, I also have an inspirational process of reading and going to different exhibitions to gather new input or ideas. Mainly, it depends where I’m at emotionally; what do I want to say right now and how can I translate that into the material? I see my art and the material glass as ways to express my thoughts and as an extended language.
‘Dawn’ (2023). Photo: Kjell B Persson.
What message(s) do you want to convey through your art?
I want to encourage curiosity. For example, I like to play with perception and create an interest or urge to touch the material. Much of my glass does not look like typical, shiny glass; it can seem like stone, lava, or ceramics.
My work is often intuitive. I listen to my gut instinct and work the material in a very playful way. It can be a little messy and rough – and I often work with contradictions in the material. I would say my designs are often connected to themes of femininity, organic form and the body. It is a way for me to tell stories related to those kinds of topics.
‘Inside’, sand-cast sculptures (2015). Photo by the artist.
What is your favourite tool or piece of equipment and why?
I would say my big, thick, protection gloves are my favourite. I use them when I shape the sand-cast glass freehand.
Where do you show and sell your work?
I sell mainly through Galleri Glas in Stockholm, Sweden, but I also sell through Culture Objects in New York, US.
What advice would you give to someone starting out on a creative career?
Be patient, be thorough and understand that to learn a craft takes time. Be proud of the knowledge and the practice. And don’t hesitate to reach out for an internship – it´s best to have the actual lived experience of working with the material.
An exhibition of Ulrika’s glass art series ‘Ouroboros’ at the Astrid Textiles Showroom in Stockholm, Sweden, with their fabrics (2023). Photo: Idah Lindhag.
Do you have a career highlight?
I would say my career highlight was when, as part of the duo BarroLevén, we held an exhibition at the Glass Factory in Boda, Sweden, in 2019/2020. It was a big one, with a 300 sq m room space to fill. It took a long time building it and it was a lot of work. But it was such a great experience for me – and us as a team. The exhibition lasted for almost a year a was really appreciated by everyone – from kids to grown-ups.
Where is your practice heading next?
I´m currently working towards a solo show at Galleri Glas during 2024, where I´m going to dig further into the technique of combining blown glass with casting in sand. Plus, I´m also working on some lighting projects for restaurants.
‘Mercury’s Mirror’ (2023). Photo: Kjell B Persson.
And finally…
I must mention how COVID-19 has affected me as an artist. This is a big one as, when it hit, I found it a very tough period. Eighteen months earlier I had completed my master’s degree at Konstfack university in Stockholm, Sweden, so everything was rolling along nicely. Then, suddenly, everything stopped. I had been working as part of a duo called BarroLevén with Kristina Levén and I was very proud of what we achieved together. However, unfortunately, she caught COVID-19 and has been long-term sick ever since. This definitively changed my professional career as an artist, putting a very good working relationship on hold and backing the tape a little bit. Now I’m starting a new era as a solo artist, after working in a partnership for four years.
Ulrika Barr working with glass at the Boda Glass Factory. Photo: Jonas Lindstöm.
About the artist
Ulrika Barr with her glass work at Astrid Textiles Showroom in Stockholm, where she had an exhibition in 2023. Photo: Idah Lindhag.
Ulrika Barr’s journey into the world of glass art began with a three-year education at Orrefors in Sweden, before undertaking her master’s degree at the Konstfack – University of Arts, Crafts and Design. This course included work at the Stockholm Glassworks, JP Canlis in Seattle, US, and Gunilla Kihlgren in Stockholm.
Her work has been exhibited in New York, Prague and Sweden.
Previously, Ulrika was a significant part of the glass artist duo BarroLevén, which created a unique combination of artistic vision and technical skills.
An exhibition of contemporary glass by Catherine Dunstan takes place at the New Ashgate Gallery in Farnham, Surrey, UK from 27 January to 9 February 2024.
The show is entitled ‘Transmissions’ and Catherine explained the reason for this title: “I am interested in the moment transmitted information is received by an individual mind, and how someone’s experiences and beliefs provide context for how that information is understood.”
From large, lit, wall artworks to miniature sculptures, each piece in the display uses light, colour and kaleidoscopic patterns to communicate.
“This collection invites a moment for pause and introspection, for each viewing mind to find its own meaning and emotional response,” Catherine added.
The exhibition is located in the Balcony Gallery, New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham, GU9 7PS. The Gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday ,10:30am-5pm. https://www.newashgate.org.uk
Find out more about Catherine and her work via her website.
Image: One of the intricate, illuminated wall artworks in the exhibition.
Congratulations to innovative stained glass artist Brian Clarke, who has been awarded a knighthood in HM The King’s New Year Honours list 2024.
Speaking in response to the announcement, Clarke said, “I’m feeling very surprised and grateful really. It’s wonderful to get noticed for one’s work, but to get honoured for it too is really very encouraging.
“I am working class by birth and by inclination. My art is for the working class and my public art in stained glass is intended to beautify the corners of the world it occupies.
“The medium that I’m best known for, I used to be best known as a painter, but I think there’s been more attention paid to my stained glass in later years. And it’s a medium that this country has had a thousand years of tremendous history, this medium has impacted on our culture in a substantial way. It’s a wonderful, wonderful medium. It lifts the spirits and helps articulate the nature of architecture. It’s a thrilling medium, and I want it to last as long as it possibly can.
“And so, anything like this, of course, will contribute to supporting the continuation of what is a unique and special part of our visual arts culture.”
Clarke celebrated his 70th birthday in July 2023 and has marked the occasion with his current exhibition, A Great Light, on show at Damien Hirst’s Newport Street Gallery, London, until 7 January 2024. The exhibition is presented by HENI and features works dating from 2002 to the present day.
Since the 1970s, Oldham-born Clarke has drawn stained glass away from its use as religious art through innovations in technology and visual presentation, such as fabricating freestanding stained glass panels without lead, developing Pointillism in glass, as well as through the creation of sculptural stained glass works inspired by collage, made primarily or entirely of lead – thereby pushing the medium to its extremes in both directions: absolute transparency and complete opacity.
The current exhibition shows how flexible and wide-ranging the medium can be. His latest work, ‘Ardath’, is a 42m2 wall of mouth-blown glass, bathing the gallery in light and colour, as flowering meadow motifs build up a rich and dense tapestry in etched glass.
Meanwhile, new work ‘Stroud Ossuary’ depicts hundreds of skulls towering 10m above visitors, with each graphically etched skull carefully placed on traditional lead lines. Other works are on a smaller scale, such as the ‘Kabinettscheiben’, which are based on his latest collages and drawings.
Earlier works are presented in a gallery filled with vibrantly coloured folding screens, layering a multitude of patterns and colours. In contrast, large leadworks create a contemplative environment, filled with reflection and mourning.
Newport Street Gallery states, ‘Large battleships and beachboys from 2002 show Clarke’s continued experimentation with method and process. Triple-layered sheets of dot-matrix glass build up the translucent and transparent image of the battleship as if in a distant haze. The same process was employed on a monumental scale with architects Norman Foster and Partners on the Al Faisaliah Centre, Riyadh.’
Over the years, he has been commissioned by other leading designers, including Japanese architect Arata Isozaki and the late British architect Dame Zaha Hadid, to design stained glass for buildings across the world.
Clarke’s work can be found in the permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Corning Museum of Glass, New York, and the Tate in London.
Find out more about the A Great Light exhibition here.
Fellow British stained glass artist John Reyntiens was awarded an MBE in last year’s 2023 New Year Honours list, alongside Barbara Beadman, who received an MBE for services to the glass industry.
Photo: Brian Clarke with his collage-inspired glass work. Image courtesy Brian Clarke studio.
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