Glass bead artists are invited to submit their beads to the first International Glass Bead Biennale. This new event is being held for the first time as part of the International Festival of Glass 2022, alongside the British Glass Biennale.
It is open to artists, designers, craftspeople and students of all nationalities worldwide who create beads with glass as the key design element.
The work must demonstrate the highest level of excellence in design, creative imagination and technical skill.
Submission criteria:
Each artist can submit up to three beads for consideration.
Each bead must be predominantly made of glass, but can incorporate other materials.
The bead must not exceed 6cm in size, but can be mounted, for example as a piece of jewellery.
The work must have been made since 1 March 2019.
All pieces selected for display must be for sale.
The cost of submission is £10.00 and the deadline for entries is midnight on 27 February 2022.
The Jury for the International Glass Bead Biennale 2022 comprises: Vic Bamforth (glass artist); Barbara Beadman (Hon. Member GBUK; Director of British Glass; Prime Warden, Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers of London), and Pauline Holt (Jazzy Lily Glass, Hon. Member GBUK).
The International Glass Bead Biennale opens on 26 August 2022 and closes on 1 October 2022.
The Private View and Awards Ceremony will be held by invitation on 25 August 2022 at The Glasshouse Arts Centre, Wollaston Road, Amblecote, Stourbridge, West Midlands DY8 4HF, UK.
The Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) and Stourbridge Glass Museum (SGM) are proud to announce a joint commission for a piece of contemporary glass art to be shown in the new museum’s Reception Area during 2022.
The competition is open to all CGS members (join CGS here) and the winning design will be purchased for SGM’s permanent collection.
The challenge is to create a stunning celebration of glass, one that displays dazzling originality along with a virtuoso use of techniques. The aim is not only to celebrate 25 years of the CGS but also to stop visitors in their tracks with a work that sparkles and delights. This is your chance to create the piece of contemporary glass artwork you always dreamed of making.
The chosen work will be officially unveiled during the International Festival of Glass in August 2022.
The SGM’s reception area offers a great opportunity to feature a hanging glasswork (see photograph) and the Museum has a winch with up to 200 KG max weight for sculptural glass pieces. However, all other 2D and 3D glass art forms will be considered. Hanging work, wall pieces and plinth-based work are welcome, as long as they meet Health and Safety standards. Please note that hanging works will have to be accompanied by a Health and Safety Risk Assessment and may require Structural Engineer approval. Any costs incurred for this must come from the funding available. Both individual artworks and collaborative proposals are welcome, although group entries would share the payment.
The work can combine different materials or found objects but at least 50% must be glass. It must be resilient to heat and light as it is not possible to control environmental factors at the museum. The winner must deliver it and supervise installation, should that be necessary.
The commission budget of £4,000 (to include the purchase of the work for the SGM) has been jointly funded by the CGS (through donations from Collector Members) and SGM. This money includes the design, construction and delivery of the work to the SGM by 22 August 2022.
The closing date for applications is Monday 15 November 2021 at 5pm (UK time). The panel will comprise CGS board members, museum staff and trustees. A short list of four finalists will be chosen, who must be available to attend an online interview on Monday 6 December 2021.
The winning artist(s) will be informed by 15 December 2021. At this point, 50% of the funding will be released, with the remaining monies paid following delivery and installation of the piece.
Location: Stourbridge Glass Museum, Stuart Works, High Street, Wordsley, Stourbridge, DY8 4FB UK.
Don’t look now but Christmas is on the way and the Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) is offering shoppers the chance to buy beautiful glasswork gifts direct from the makers.
After last year’s successful ‘A is for Affordable’ online event, the CGS is returning with ‘A is for Affordable Part 2’. This is a showcase of reasonably priced glass art that would make perfect presents for you, your friends and loved ones. It takes place between 13 November 2021 and 6 January 2022, so set a reminder now.
CGS members will offer their beautiful glass at affordable prices so you can not only admire, but also purchase, a piece of gorgeousness for yourself, or to give as a gift. All work is priced from £50 to £500.
Simply browse the artworks and confer with the artist(s) of choice to pay and have your gifts sent.
CGS members wishing to show and sell with ‘A is for Affordable’ need to submit their work by 8 November 2021. Simply log in to your profile on the CGS website, click ‘Submit to exhibitions’ and select ‘A for Affordable 2’ from the dropdown exhibition list to upload your image and details. CGS asks only for a small donation from any sales made.
If you are not yet a member of CGS and would like to take part in this selling exhibition, you can join today.
Recent glass graduate Bethan Yates explains how she developed an artwork for the prestigious English National Opera during lockdown.
The Richard Seager award is an annual arts and crafts award set up by Valerie Seager in memory of her husband Richard. The award provides opportunities to emerging artists and designers in the form of a commission. The organisation that receives the commission is usually one which has contributed to society, culture and the environment in a positive way.
In 2020, a few months after graduating from the glass course at Swansea College of Art, I submitted a design to the award brief for that year. I presented my idea to a board of judges, via Zoom, during the first lockdown and was lucky enough to be chosen as the winner.
The commission was to be for the English National Opera (ENO), which was chosen for its outstanding response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The costume department had made scrubs for the NHS, and a wellbeing programme called ENO Breathe was set up for those recovering from the virus.
The commission was to create a piece of art to hang in the Sky Bar at the London Coliseum theatre in Westminster, home to the ENO.
Left to right: Award founder Valerie Seager, glass artist Bethan Yates, and Chairman of the Board of the English National Opera, Harry Brunjes, at the unveiling of the winning commission, installed in the London Coliseum. Photo: John Snelling.
One of the enormous privileges of this project for me, was the opportunity to work with the ENO Youth Company. I ran an online ‘mark making to opera’ workshop with them, using the music from three operas which hold particular significance for the ENO – ‘The Mikado’, ‘Peter Grimes’ and ‘Carmen’. The youth members produced drawings and patterns that directly inspired the final piece. In a process of enlarging, repeating and layering, I created an energetic and flowing artwork.
As the youth members are the future of the company, I wanted them represented in the work. I included subtle variations of their mark making through painting and silver stain and incorporated their signatures through sandblasting and etching.
Side view of Bethan’s installation, showing the different angles of the glass to catch the light through the day and at night. Photo: Bethan Yates.
The final piece is made in two layers, which are hung at slightly different angles. It is designed to change throughout the day, with the position of the sun, artificial spotlights at night, or as an individual engages with it in the space.
Marine fixings were used, as a nod to the stage crews of old, who came from ships to man theatre rigging. The yellow stain used on the glass was another important feature, linking this contemporary artwork with the original, silver-stained Edwardian glass found throughout the theatre, which was designed by architect Frank Matcham.
This was my first real commission and I couldn’t have asked for a more challenging, yet rewarding, experience. The awards team were amazing and provided so much support to me throughout the 18 months. We had multiple Zoom meetings to discuss the design and development of my ideas, consider the architecture of the building, and how to work with the client.
The steepest learning curve was the safety aspect of the design, as the piece was to hang on a wall above three connecting staircases, in a listed building! I approached many companies for advice on safety glass, fixtures and fittings, plus how to attach the weight to the wall. We’d learnt a bit about this in university but having to do it in real life, during a pandemic and multiple lockdowns, within budget, was a huge task.
The location of the artwork above three staircases necessitated many consultations on safety and materials.
I did learn that the glass community, although quite small in comparison to others, is also one of the most generous with time and knowledge. I had so many questions throughout the project and I found myself going back and asking my old tutors and technicians, or glass friends I’d met through Instagram, for help and advice. Everyone was so excited for me and so eager to help. If they didn’t have the answer, they’d point me to the person who did.
It has been such an amazing experience and, although very difficult at times, I’m so happy to have had it at this early stage in my career.
Left to right: Award founder Valerie Seager, glass artist Bethan Yates, and Chairman of the Board of the English National Opera, Harry Brunjes, at the unveiling of the winning commission, installed in the London Coliseum. Photo: John Snelling.
Main image: The finished installation by Bethan Yates, winner of the Richard Seager award 2020. Photo: John Snelling.
Glass artist Dr Helen Slater Stokes seeks to preserve remembered landscapes and investigate biological and social issues with her contrasting styles of glass art. Linda Banks finds out more about her preoccupation with optical illusions and concepts of space.
What led you to start working with glass?
I was always captivated by glass, in particular looking into and through glass. The notion of capturing perceived spatial depth within glass has always interested me. Ever since I gazed into crystal gardens grown in glass jam jars as a child I have been fascinated by watching these miniature worlds grow behind the distortion and magnification of the glass.
It was these forms or images, behind or within glass, that have always captured my imagination and interest. These surreal, watery worlds held a reference to artefact and capture, through subconscious associations with conservation and preservation. They were also ethereal and dreamlike, appearing otherworldly and poetic. This visual reference to glass as a preservative material, encasing moments, colour, movement, bubbles and imagery, is something I have repeatedly drawn upon within my work.
Helen’s work (right) was inspired by the crystal gardens (left) that fascinated her in childhood.
What glass techniques have you used in your career and why do you have a preference for cast glass today?
During my degree course, at Sunderland University, I produced cast, blown and stained glass works. Then later, when working on public commissions, I designed for architectural-scale, toughened and laminated industrial processes. But kiln forming has always been my preferred method of production. Each stage of complex kiln-forming and glass finishing allows for reflection and evaluation, in addition to the methodical processing of the glass. It is this logical, hands-on and time-based production method that affords me the time to analyse and reassess my work continually.
Helen Slater Stokes in the studio. Each stage of the production process leaves space for contemplation.
Can you tell us something about your methods? Do you draw your designs out or dive straight in with the materials?
I always start with a drawing, whether that’s a sketchbook drawing of a landscape or a 3D abstract minimal work rendered in pencil or pen. Then this is taken into the digital, sometimes by scanning images into Photoshop, in order to work out composition layouts, or, in the case of my new lenticular designs, fabricating the forms in 3D software before digitally composing and interlacing them, with specialist software. This digital stage enables me to quickly experiment with ideas before taking them into the glass. Finally, I can impact the finished work by employing different kiln-forming processes and glass finishing techniques.
You have a special interest in optical illusions and concepts of space. How have you translated this in your glass work?
Hopefully that interest is obvious to the viewer, as a continuous thread within my work. Glasses’ optical traits are visual characteristics that intrigue me and, as such, are vehicles I exploit a lot. Use of polished surfaces to magnify, or ground surfaces to create visual levels within the glass, are constants. Then I enjoy adding layers of image or depth within the castings themselves, using glass frit, screen printed imagery, or digital ceramic transfers.
A design drawing featuring landscape and lens.
But I aim to attach other meanings to this notion of the optical. For example, my landscapes speak of remembered places that have changed or been lost over time, now captured within the glass. My abstract, minimal works, meanwhile, address a different kind of ‘space’: a virtual, almost holographic, mental space that create dialogues around biological and social issues.
Detail of ‘Proximity’ artwork.
Do you have a favourite piece you have made? Why is it your favourite?
My favourite is usually the last piece I have finished but, looking back, I love ‘Oculus’ and ‘Acuity’. These were my first successful, abstract lenticular glass works, created while researching my PhD. These evidence the culmination of my technical research, as they hold images within that mesh with a glass lenticular lens to facilitate a virtual animated space. Also, Acuity was selected for the British Glass Biennale 2019 and then purchased for the glass collection at The Imagine Museum, in Florida USA. This was a great accolade for the work, as I had visited The Imagine Museum earlier that year, whilst presenting a paper at the Glass Art Society Conference in St. Petersburg, USA. The museum is amazing and I was blown away to have a piece of my work in its collection.
You are also an educator. How do you balance your time between lecturing and creating your glass sculptures?
I have always taught on a part-time basis, so this is something that I have managed over the years. Currently, I am doing less lecturing and focusing on launching the new work resulting from my PhD research. But I do really enjoy teaching. I love working with students and watching their excitement and enthusiasm when learning new techniques. It inspires me to keep pushing my own work forward and to stay informed about new processes and artworks to bring into the mix.
Most of the time, I am working alone in my workshop and then, sporadically, I am in the buzzing atmosphere of the university working with a throng of enthusiastic students. It’s brilliant. I’m very lucky as it’s great for me to have that mix.
What is your favourite tool or piece of equipment and why?
That has to be my reciprolap. This is a lapping machine which is 36 inch in diameter. I run it with 600 silicon carbide grit to flatten and grind glass work. I bought it from His Glassworks, USA, about 10 years ago. It saves me hours of back-breaking hand-lapping, and I can use it for really large casts. It’s a real life saver!
Grinding on the flatbed. Having the right tools saves time in the production process. Photo: John Bellars.
What message do you want to covey to your audience through your glass work?
I guess I want the audience to be captivated by the works and to consider the places and spaces depicted within the glass. This hopefully leaves them to consider, depending on the pieces, places that hold a resonance, issues around the loss of our British landscape, overcrowding and current proximity concerns brought about by the pandemic.
Helen has a particular interest in 3D design, as shown in her planning drawings.
Where do you show and sell your work?
I am represented by a number of galleries, including the Contemporary Applied Arts (London), Artwave West (Dorset), Sarah Wiseman (Oxford), Byard Art (Cambridge), The Biscuit Factory (Newcastle), Torrance (Edinburgh) and Hadfield Fine Art (Gloucestershire).
The assembly process for ‘Breaking Ground’ glass artwork. Photo: Sylvain Deleu.
Do you have a career highlight?
My highlight so far is graduating, with a PhD from the Royal College of Art, this year, after over six years of part-time study.
Who or what inspires you?
My father was a constant inspiration to me. He was a fabulous artist and graphic designer, so I was fortunate enough to be supported in my decision to study art and my aim to work as an artist. Then, having discovered glass, I became inspired by glass as a material, with its endless range of possibilities and new innovations. That’s what makes me excited to drive over to my workshop every day to see what has happened in the kiln, or spend hours and hours grinding and polishing a cast.
How has the coronavirus impacted your practice?
I was very lucky. The initial enforced time at home allowed me to reflect and consider new work, as well as preparing for my PhD exam.I worked on lots of ideas digitally and in my sketchbook and, when we were allowed to go out to work, if necessary, I could go over to my workshop. I work alone and have a unit in a block, so it was easy to drive over and simply close the door behind me for the day. Fortunately I had two large commissions on the go to focus on.
Lockdown also allowed me to take time out from what had become a very hectic and pressured schedule of PhD work, gallery pieces and commissions.
Helen Slater Stokes in her studio.
About the artist Dr Helen Slater Stokes graduated from The Royal College of Art, with a master’s degree in 3D Design: Glass & Ceramics, in 1996. Since then, she has been lecturing and making glass sculpture from her workshop in the Cotswolds.
She completed a part-time PhD by practice, in 2021, at The Royal College of Art, London.
She exhibits internationally and has undertaken public and private commissions.
The British Glass Biennale is a highlight of the glass calendar and hailed as “the foremost juried exhibition of excellence in contemporary glass” for artists, designers and craftspeople working in the UK and British artists working abroad.
The organisers of the British Glass Biennale will be opening the online submission process in early November 2021, so make a note to look out for the application form when it goes live. Successful applicants will have their work featured at the Biennale in 2022, which is seen as the flagship exhibition of the International Festival of Glass.
The British Glass Biennale is open to artists, designers, craftspeople and students working in all areas of contemporary glass practice or using glass as a key design element. The emphasis is on new work, demonstrating the highest level of excellence in design, creative imagination and technical skill.
The British Glass Biennale and the International Festival of Glass were established to encourage and support glass artists and craftspeople. It is in this sprit that, in recognition of the difficulties for many over the last few years, the submission fee has been significantly reduced, to £10, for all categories.
Applicants must: Have been living and working in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland for the last two consecutive years;
Or be living, working or studying abroad, but possess a British passport and have previously lived in the UK for a minimum of 15 years;
Or be studying on glass arts course in the UK.
Artists can submit up to three pieces for consideration, each of which must be predominantly made of glass, but can incorporate other materials. The work must have been made since 1 March 2019 and all pieces selected for display must be for sale.
The Jury for the British Glass Biennale 2022: Michelle Bowen, Director, UK New Artists Brandi P. Clark, Executive Director, Glass Arts Society James Devereux, Artist & Director, Devereux & Huskie Glassworks Wayne Strattman, President, Strattman Design, USA Bryony Windsor, Relationship Manager (Visual Arts) Midlands, Arts Council England Matt Durran, Curator.
The British Glass Biennale opens in the historic glassmaking area of Stourbridge, UK, on 26 August 2022 and closes on 1 October 2022. The private view and awards ceremony will be held, by invitation, on Thursday 25 August 2022.
The online submission form will open in early November. Keep an eye on the Biennale website for updates: https://glassbiennale.org
Deadline for entries to the British Glass Biennale: Midnight, Sunday 27 February 2022.
Find out more about the International Festival of Glass 2022 here.
Image: Selected artworks on display at the 2019 British Glass Biennale, held at the International Festival of Glass 2019. Photo: John Plant.
Glass Network’s editor, Kirsteen Aubrey, provides a tantalising preview of some of the articles featured in the next print magazine.
Glass Network #79 (due out in November 2021) focuses on colour, using it to explore palette, create balance and blend tones.
Each of the artists featured approaches colour in a unique way. They share how they achieve this across kiln work, lamp work, casting, stained glass and blown glass. For some, the inspiration stems from a quest to create an immersive experience (Sarah Blood), or a drive to explore techniques in pate de verre (Joshua Kerley). Cate Watkinson discusses how colour and light provide energy and agency in her practice, while Ian Chadwick shares his love of vibrant colours and rotational symmetry.
We include a portfolio of other practitioners working in colour, sharing their inspiration and glass outcomes. Thank you for your contributions!
Finally, as we plan for 2022’s International Year of Glass, North Lands Creative Director Karen Phillips shares her thoughts from the Scottish glass hub, as we begin to enjoy physical gatherings again.
Image: ‘Steady Eddy’ by Cate Watkinson, installed at Newcastle Airport. Photo: Mark Pinder.
One of the many perks of being a member of the Contemporary Glass Society is that you receive a copy of Glass Network through the post twice a year. Why not join today?
Emma Park reviews the Anniversary Invitational Exhibition, which is on until 2 October 2021.
London Glassblowing’s 45th Anniversary Invitational Exhibition celebrates the many decades that the studio, under the direction of Peter Layton, has been a leading influence on the art glass scene in Britain.
The 29 participants were selected by Peter and Ann Layton with Gena Johns, the Gallery Manager. The many works on show include some by Peter Layton and the late Sam Herman, who together led the way in introducing the studio glass movement to Britain from the USA and setting the standard that it was to follow.
All the other artists represented have either worked for Layton, collaborated with him, influenced him or were influenced by him, or exhibited regularly at London Glassblowing.
They range from the ‘establishment’ of contemporary glass, such as Katharine Coleman MBE, David Reekie, Colin Reid, and Baldwin and Guggisberg, to younger figures, such as Tim Rawlinson, who has worked with Layton for a decade, Sophie Layton, who adapts the patterns of printmaking to glass as a two-dimensional medium, and Sıla Yücel, a new assistant at the studio who uses moulds produced on a 3D printer in her kiln casting.
Altogether, the quality and variety testifies to the way that glassmaking in Britain has grown and flourished over the last 45 years, and London Glassblowing’s vital role in this process.
Among others, the aesthetic effects of optical glass are exploited in cast and coldworked sculptures by Richard Jackson, Sally Fawkes and Colin Reid. Engraving is represented by Alison Kinnaird MBE, with a Butterfly Collection, Nancy Sutcliffe, with a finely delineated octopus on a glass cube, and Katharine Coleman MBE, who has contributed a bowl engraved with a detailed Bermondsey Street scene. Cathryn Shilling, who studied blown glass with Layton, presents some of her distinctive kiln-formed cane sculptures, including Woven Light, which weaves threads of dichroic glass through clear glass to create a shimmering, satin-like texture.
There are two Chihuly-esque installations by Neil Wilkin, intended, unlike most of the other exhibits, for outdoor display. Bruce Marks, Layton’s studio manager, has presented a new series of Oculos vessels of layered blown glass with ‘eyes’ cut through in a simple but striking pattern. Resident artist Anthony Scala’s series of Turbulence pieces evoke a sense of peace in the midst of disturbance, through their use of bubbles captured in harmonious geometrical forms. Sabrina Cant’s Light of the Night and The Sun is a God present two discs of kiln-cast glass as if they were precious stones, each framed in a ring of gold leaf.
Conspicuous by their absence are the glassblowing couple Elliot Walker and Bethany Wood: they will be exhibiting with Laura Hart in the studio’s next exhibition, Best in Glass (5-30 October 2021).
According to Layton, the idea behind the exhibition is to celebrate his organisation’s contribution to studio glass, now that it has reached a “ripe old age” – somewhat like Layton himself who, by his own acknowledgement, is the “oldest” artist represented.
Founded in 1976, London Glassblowing is now in its third location, after starting from humble beginnings in Rotherhithe. As this exhibition amply demonstrates, studio glass in Britain would have been much the poorer without it.
Full list of contributors:
Alison Kinnaird MBE, Amanda Simmons, Anthony Scala, Baldwin & Guggisberg, Bruce Marks, Cathryn Shilling, Colin Reid, David Reekie, Hanne Enemark, Heike Brachlow, Kate Pasvol, Katharine Coleman MBE, Katherine Huskie, Layne Rowe, Liam Reeves, Max Jacquard, Nancy Sutcliffe, Neil Wilkin, Olga Alianova, Peter Layton, Rachael Woodman, Richard Jackson, Sabrina Cant, Sally Fawkes, Sam Herman, Sarah Wiberley, Sıla Yücel, Sophie Layton, and Tim Rawlinson.
The exhibition runs until 2 October 2021 at London Glassblowing, 62-66 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3UD. Find out more and view the catalogue here.
Image: Some of the diverse glass art on show at London Glassblowing. Photo: Gena Johns.
Emma Park is a freelance writer specialising in glass and the arts.
Plan your visit to the annual London Craft Week, taking place from 4-10 October 2021. It features several contemporary glass artists working in a variety of media, among many other traditional crafts.
QEST Craft Trail
The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) is running its Craft Trail once again during London Craft Week, with 11 Royal Warrant-holding stores in the St James’s area of London exhibiting the art and design work of QEST Scholars. A broad range of crafts will be represented in the stores and shop windows, and there are live craft demonstrations on specific days and times. Look out for the QEST logo displayed at the participating shops.
At historic chemist and perfumer, D. R. Harris & Co, 29 St James’s Street, QEST Bendicks (Mayfair) Ltd Scholar Harry Forster-Stringer will be displaying his jewellery and objects de virtu made from silver and gold, which he embellishes with hand-engraving, enamel or precious stones.
On Thursday 7 October, from 1 to 5pm, Harry will be demonstrating the process of enamelling in store. See his enamelled work in the feature image above.
At country enthusiasts’ department store Farlows, located at 9 Pall Mall, stained glass artist Sophie d’Souza will make and paint a stained glass piece featuring Koi carp between Monday 4andFriday 8 October (11am-3pm). Farlows will also be live-streaming the process on their Facebook and YouTubechannels.
Sophie has worked with Farlows in the past, designing the Charles Farlow Trophy for them in 2017. It features a stained glass Atlantic salmon and is awarded to the largest fly-caught salmon from England or Wales each season.
Find out more about all the participants on the QEST Craft Trail, and download a pdf of the trail map, via this page on the QEST website.
Crafting a Difference at the Argentine Ambassador’s official residence
Crafting a Difference (an initiative by five contemporary art and craft galleries) is presenting a new show for London Craft Week 2021 at the Argentine Ambassador’s official residence in Belgravia, with works by 30 contemporary makers on display in the opulent interiors.
The exhibition offers a rare opportunity to visit this magnificent and historic residence designed by Thomas Cubitt. Rooms to explore include the Ambassador’s office, the formal dining room and the grand ballroom.
Curated by Andrea Harari and Brian Kennedy, the exhibition will bring together over 200 works in glass, ceramics, wood, metal, textiles and paper, selected from the galleries Cavaliero Finn, jaggedart, MADEINBRITALY, Ting Ying Gallery and Vessel Gallery.
Vessel Gallery will be showing new glass artworks by Amy Cushing, Chris Day, Jo Taylor, Louis Thompson and Wayne Charmer. There will also be opportunities to meet the artists Chris Day (Monday 4 October at 2.35pm) and Amy Cushing (Tuesday 5 October at 2.35pm).
The Argentine Ambassador’s Official Residence is at 49 Belgrave Square, London, SW1X 8QZ. It is open from Monday 4 – Sunday 10 October 2021 from 12.00pm – 5.00pm. Please note that booking is essential. Places are free. Book here via the Crafting a Difference website.
This event is supported by the Crafts Council, QEST, Loewe Foundation, Michelangelo Foundation, Cockpit Arts, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour and Artegian Design.
Glass artists at Takumi Townhouse
Another event featuring glass artists during London Craft Week 2021 is an exhibition at Takumi Townhouse.
‘Takumi’ is the Japanese word given to artisans who dedicate years to mastering and continually refining their skills. This exhibition celebrates the ‘takumi’ working in the UK today across leather, glass, wood, metal and paper. It includes works by the five artists featured in the Lexus ‘In Search of Takumi’ series and their peers. Glass artists represented include Peter Layton, plus Vessel Gallery artists Nina Casson McGarva, Liam Reeves and Choi Keeryong.
Booking for Takumi Townhouse is not necessary and entry is free. Takumi Townhouse has entrances on both 40 Earlham Street, WC2H 9LH, and 25 Shelton Street, WC2H 9LH. The exhibition is on daily from 4-10 October 2021 at different times each day. Find out more on the London Craft Week website.
Art Workers’ Guild
Members of the Art Workers’ Guild are presenting daily talks, demonstrations and an exhibition as part of London Craft Week.
Their ‘Art of Making’ exhibition showcases over 25 artists and makers, including glass artists Cathryn Shilling, Katharine Coleman and Tracey Sheppard. Katharine Coleman and Tracey Sheppard are presenting a talk on 7 October at 4pm. Cathryn Shilling is showing her work on 7 and 8 October and her talk is at 4pm on 8 October. Tickets for the talks are £12 each. Find out more details and the link to book for the talks here.
Throughout the weekend the Guild’s Honorary Architect, Simon Hurst, will be giving tours of the Grade ll* Georgian townhouse which is home to the Art Workers’ Guild.
Tours are free but booking is essential. Book your place here.
Venue: Art Workers’ Guild, 6 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AT.
Last few days to see contemporary glass installations by six MA students at the University of Sunderland.
The MA Glass and Ceramics degree show is on until 3 October 2021 in the Main Gallery at the National Glass Centre.
Read on to find out more about the artists and their glass work:
Swordsmiths inspired this glass work by Aaron Beck.
Aaron Beck Aaron Beck states: “This work, entitled ‘Ayleid swords 1,2,3’, was created in response to my passion for weaponry. Looking at master swordsmiths and the pattern work they could create with steel really spoke to me and I wanted to emulate it as best I could with the techniques that I have learned over my time at the University of Sunderland. By using the technique known as murrini, alongside cane work, I created these three swords with intricate pattern and design reminiscent of Damascus steel.
Instagram: @aaron_beck97
Antonios Koutouzis works with cast glass.
Antonis Koutouzis Koutouzis is a conceptual glass artist, currently living and working in the UK. His work attempts to research and expose philosophical and socio-political issues. He draws inspiration from current and past events that trigger his need to express his views or raise questions that may lead to creative conversations. He views his work as a celebration of life, finding beauty in the world by revealing its inadequacies. He primarily uses cast and hot glass techniques to create sculptural work, as a way of effectively communicating the topics he explores.
He states: “The properties of glass make it ideal for the issues that interest me the most. Its transparency, translucency, fragility and its ability to diffuse light, creating visual depth, make it one of the most powerful conceptual materials an artist could work with.”
Hence, he chooses to use glass as a protagonist within large, often mixed media installations, that create an emotional experience which aims to stimulate critical thinking.
antoniskoutouzis.com Instagram: @antoniskoutouzis
Catherine Wilkinson Catherine Wilkinson’s piece (see main image) is a meditation on thought, perception, and the spaces between, explored through yoga philosophy. Patanjali’s yoga sutras state ‘Chitta vritti nirodha’, which can be translated as ‘yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind’. This sutra is represented by water as a metaphor for the breath and the glass vessels for the human body. Primary colours represent how perspective points and interactions can shift perceptions. The moving patterns of light caused by the dropping water are indicative of shifting thought forms, as both mind and breath are interlinked. The yogis of ancient times understood the importance of the spaces between things – the pauses at the top of the inhale and the bottom of the exhale – and the spaces between thoughts as portals that lead towards a deeper level of consciousness. This work focuses not so much on the fluctuations, but on the stillness between.
Instagram: @anawilkinsonart
Mary Watson describes her glass work as ‘alternative portraiture’.
Mary Watson Through a series of drawing workshops with family, friends, and colleagues, this question is explored: What objects from our lives do we value and why? Influenced by archaeological ceramics, drawing games and social histories, Mary Watson has created several ceramic and glass sculptures. She expands: “These sculptures act as an alternative portraiture, not depicting images of people, but instead helping us consider ourselves through the objects, patterns, and shapes that we surround ourselves with, entwined with our memories.”
Wei Ding ‘Art helps us accomplish a task that is of central important in our lives: to hold on to thing we love when they are gone.’ (De Botton, A, Armstrong, J, Art as Therapy, 2013). Wei Ding prefers to use art works to record something of herself, such as feelings, memories, and existence, which seem appear like diary writing. She aims to represent the different aspects of the inner world and she hopes that viewers could look at life in a new way.
Instagram: @ding.1117 Facebook: @Wei Ding
Yixue Yang uses glass to explore the philosophical idea of ‘being and nothingness’.
Yixue Yang Yixue Yang majored in ceramic art. Now, in her postgraduate work, she uses glass to explore the philosophical idea of ‘being and nothingness’. Yang believes the essence of ‘being’ is thought and spirit, an invisible state, which is the void. Glass is transparent and invisible, an excellent material for expressing the void. She is influenced by the Chinese philosophical idea, “All things in the world are born from ‘being’, ‘being’ is born from ‘nothing'”. She uses intangible forms to express ‘being’ to liberate people from the flesh and find their essence.
Instagram: @young.7902 Facebook: @yixue_young
Venue: National Glass Centre, University of Sunderland, Liberty Way, Sunderland SR6 0GL.
Show on from 10am-5pm daily until 3 October 2021.
Main feature image: This glass installation by Catherine Wilkinson explores thought, perception and the spaces between, through yoga philosophy.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
