Twelve new board members have been elected to the Glass Art Society (GAS), including two names well known in the UK contemporary glass scene – Janine Christley and James Devereux.
Janine Christley worked for Ruskin Mill Trust for over 30 years and is also the Founder and Director of the International Festival of Glass – the major event for contemporary glass in the UK. In October 2024 this event will be taken over by GAS and Christley is joining the board to ensure a smooth and successful handover and a continued positive relationship with British glass artists and organisations.
James Devereux has been working in glass since the age of 15, when he discovered a natural talent for the craft. Specialising in hot glass, his skills cover solid forms as well as blown pieces. In 2008, he opened his first studio in Wiltshire, becoming the glass technician at the Royal College of Art in London a year later. In 2013 he established Devereux and Huskie Glassworks, with fellow glass artist Katherine Huskie.
Other new GAS board members, starting their roles on 1 October 2024, are Zach Abella, Phillip Murray Bandura, Lothar Böttcher, Michelle Bufano, Kate Dowd, Annabelle Javier, Dr Kayla Natividad, Natali Rodrigues, Julia Rogers and Danielle Ruttenberg.
Speaking about the appointments, GAS Executive Director Brandi P Clark stated, “We are in the midst of a transformative period at GAS as we expand internationally, and we are thrilled to be adding 12 new members to our Board of Directors. These talented individuals have a broad range of skills as seasoned professionals, administrators and artists whose expertise ranges from sustainability to fundraising and everything in between. We are confident these new board members will work with our current board and staff to make GAS the best organisation it can be.”
John Lawrie, a distinguished figure in the world of glass art, passed away on 6 August 2024 at the age of 95. Born in Edinburgh in 1928, John dedicated his life to the craft of glassmaking, leaving an indelible mark on the field and inspiring many generations of glass artists through his educational and artistic work.
John’s artistic journey began in 1951 when he enrolled at the Edinburgh College of Art (ECA). There, he studied glass design, mural painting and life drawing – disciplines that would shape his future career.
After graduating, John was fortunate to work closely with the renowned glass artist and educator Helen Monro Turner at the Juniper Green Workshop, which they set up together in 1956. John installed a range of cutting-edge glass equipment in the workshops, including glass-cutting lathes, electric glass casting kilns and an air compression and dust extraction system for a sandblasting cabinet that could handle large-scale sheet glass for architectural glass commissions. John worked alongside Helen on several of her most significant public commissions, including the windows at the National Library of Scotland. The Juniper Green Workshop provided a creative space for graduates from ECA and the workshop became a foundation stone of John’s expertise in glass making.
John also worked on numerous independent commissions across Scotland, including a large-scale set of triangular chapel windows for the Loretto School, Edinburgh made from dalle de verre (a type of slab glass set into a concrete and epoxy matrix), a technique he used widely in his architectural glass. He also worked on the creation of a replica of the St John’s cross, which was cast in concrete, for Iona Abbey. His work in glass and concrete was renowned and included a concrete-and-glass fountain installed at the Nivensknowe Welfare Club, in Bilston, Edinburgh, alongside a series of Modernist engraved glass panels that he worked on with Helen at the same site.
In 1961, John began teaching part-time at the School of Occupational Therapy at Astley Ainslie Hospital in Edinburgh, where he shared his knowledge and passion for glass art with a broader audience. By 1966, he returned to ECA as a teacher in the mural and glass departments, eventually rising to become Head of the Glass Department in 1970 when Monro Turner retired.
As Head of Department, John was instrumental in developing the glass design programme, championing both blown glass and kiln-working techniques. He played a crucial role in designing the new glass department within the Hunter Building, part of the extensions of the Edinburgh College of Art in 1976-1977. He created a custom-designed glassblowing studio, further solidifying ECA’s reputation as a leader in glass education.
John’s tenure at ECA lasted until his retirement in 1989, but his influence continued, as he maintained his studio in Edinburgh, producing glass pieces that are now held in public collections across Britain.
John Lawrie’s legacy is one of dedication, innovation and excellence in the field of glass art. His contributions to ECA and the wider artistic glass community will be remembered and celebrated for many years to come.
Written by Jessamy Kelly, Senior Lecturer in Glass, Edinburgh College of Art.
Image: John Lawrie (with cane) alongside staff from the ECA Glass programme (image taken in 2016).
Both members and non-members of the British Society of Master Glass Painters’ (BSMGP) are invited to the organisation’s annual Discussion Day. The event takes place in London on 13 September 2024 and is titled, ‘Stained Glass – Connection and Collaboration’.
Organised by the new Artists Working Group, the BSMGP say the meeting is intended to empower artistic expression and foster future collaborations by inspiring practitioners to creatively connect and strengthen their professional relationships. There will be two artist’s talks, a panel discussion, a ‘show and tell’ session and time for networking.
Guest speakers Amber Hiscott and Bethany Wood will present in the morning. They will discuss collaborative projects they have undertaken and how the connection aided in their success.
Amber Hiscott works internationally as an innovative architectural glass artist from her studio in Wales. Her large-scale commissions are in many public settings. Bethany Wood is the founder of Blowfish Glass Gallery in Stourbridge, West Midlands. She produces her own range of glassware, as well as running workshops to share her passion for glass blowing. The morning will finish with a panel discussion and Q&As.
The afternoon will provide a ‘show and tell’ opportunity for participants to share a project or piece of work. It will include an informal and friendly networking session.
The day will be held near London Bridge at the Glaziers Hall of the Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass, 9 Montague Close, London SE1 9DD. It runs from 10.30am-4.30pm. Tea and coffee are provided, but not lunch.
Tickets are £37.40 for members and £44 for non-members.
Contemporary glass artist and designer Ulrike Umlauf-Orrom has taken glass fusing to a new level, inventing her own processes to create the effect of fabric, inspired by her love of Japanese art and craft. Linda Banks finds out more.
You are known for your accomplished fused glass pieces. What led you to start working with glass?
After an apprenticeship in ceramics and an industrial design degree at Munich University, I was awarded a postgraduate scholarship at the Royal College of Art in London, Faculty of Ceramics and Glass, in 1980. As a design student in ceramics, I began to cast comparative vessel variations in different ceramic materials, from clay to bone china. I was very frustrated not to be able to achieve translucent bone china vessels because of technical problems. My tutor’s comment, “Why don’t you try it in glass?” was a revelation!
I was given a warm welcome in the glass department and, in my final year, I worked in both departments. My degree show consisted of ceramic and glass objects, which was very unusual at the time.
However, I was so enthusiastic about glass as a material, with the new processing techniques I had learned, that I never worked with ceramics as a maker again – only as designer.
An early piece from 1989, ‘Vessel’ was blown by Neil Wilkin.
What glass techniques have you used, and which do you prefer?
I have never mastered glassblowing with satisfactory results, so my vessels were blown for me (in college by Fred Daden, the college master glassblower, later by Neil Wilkin in Bath). I am adept at cold working, such as grinding, polishing, engraving and various sandblasting techniques. I later learned sandcasting on a course at Pilchuck Glass School with the Swedish designer and artist Bertil Vallien, which I really liked.
Applying this technique on my return to Germany was not easy; sandcasting was largely unknown. I had to try out the glass studios I knew to find out whether sandcasting worked with their glass, equipment and annealing possibilities. This meant hiring the studios and a casting assistant for at least three days per session. I was on the road in Bavaria with my sand and the plaster models I needed for the casts, which proved expensive and time-consuming. At some point, as a mother of two young children, I decided I couldn’t, and didn’t want to, do this any more.
That was how I got into fusing. I searched for, and found, a technique that would allow me to work with maximum autonomy and exploration in my own workshop at home.
I took a fusing course at Creative Glass in Zurich and then stocked up on all the materials and tools I needed. I learned how to use a glass cutter, ordered a kiln and a grinding wheel and got started straight away.
Fusing has now been my continuous technique for over 25 years, and I am still full of enthusiasm. The most important thing for me is that I can carry out all the steps of the work myself and divide up the different phases. Working with glass panes as a starting product does not require the same continuous dedication as working with hot glass at the furnace.
‘Sandcasts’, made in 1992.
What is your creative approach? Do you draw your ideas out or dive straight in with the materials?
I collect my ideas as small sketches in a detailed workshop book. I work systematically and have an extensive colour and texture pattern library with hundreds of patterns.
What is your inspiration?
Japanese arts and crafts. In my first year in London, after a visit to the exhibition ‘Japan Style’ in the Victoria & Albert Museum, I discovered and often visited its Japanese collection. I was inspired by the lacquer work, Samurai armour and, above all, the textiles. There I could find everything that still appeals to me today and reappears in my glass works: reduction, decoration with simple means such as combinations of stripes and their intersections as checks or diamonds (but no rigid geometry), sophisticated colouring, references to nature, the delicate play with structure and surface.
I describe the results of my fusing technique, with fine coloured lines and intersections, as ‘glass textiles’, with great similarity to the Japanese Ikat fabrics. I compose – in glass – a piece of ‘cloth’ that I place on a selected mould and then slump. The shape of the vessel is intended to show the appeal of my fabric to best advantage.
With Samurai armour, I was fascinated by the curved, lacquered bamboo plates used in combination with visible Sashiko stitches to reinforce several layers of fabric to form a padding. These structured effects have been incorporated into the air cushions of my glass pieces, where I explore how I can three-dimensionally transform the surface of my ‘glass fabrics’.
These ‘Vessels’ were made in 2006 and 2008. The striped one was shown in a CGS exhibition at the Pyramid Gallery, York, and is now in the Design Centre Collection, Ishikawa, Japan.
What message do you want to convey through your art?
That a bowl can be a work of art, like a painting or sculpture.
‘Bowl’ (2018) was shown in a CGS exhibition at London Glassblowing Gallery. It is now in the International Biennale of Glass Gallery Collection, Sofia, Bulgaria.
What is your favourite tool or piece of equipment and why?
My technical equipment consists of a grinding and polishing machine, a sandblasting machine and a kiln. The latter is the most important for me, as it transforms my complex three-to-four-layer constructions of glass and coloured enamel powder into a usable sandwich to work on. The kiln is also the device with the greatest transformation factor in my work. I have a lot of technical experience and, largely, the pieces can be planned. Nevertheless, opening the kiln is still a special moment. I call it the ‘miracle bag effect’. My hope and amazement at the results remain unchanged after all these years!
The ecological aspects of kiln-firing have always been important to me, so I switched to a renewable energy supplier (wind and solar electricity) 20 years ago.
‘Flags’, with heights ranging from 39 to 42cm.
Do you have a favourite piece you have made? Why is it your favourite?
One favourite piece of mine consists of two standing arch elements [see main feature image]. It is now in the National Glass Museum in Sunderland, where it was the selected fused object in the Contemporary Glass Society (CGS) exhibition, ‘It’s all in the Technique’.
It was made using my technique of enclosed air pockets, a unique crafting process I have developed. It shows the finely woven, textile-like colour lines, the transparency of the glass, plus the perfect different surfaces of the front and back.
Where do you show and sell your work?
There are fewer and fewer exclusively glass galleries, especially those that show applied glass art. My work is exhibited in glass galleries in Drachselsried and Innsbruck, as well as in galleries for applied art in Munich and Diessen. I participate regularly in national and international competitions.
‘Bowl’, measuring 41 x 41 x 9cm, dates from 2016.
Do you have a career highlight?
Six times in a row (2007-2022) my vessels were selected for the International Glass Exhibition of Kanazawa in Japan, which took place every three years. Japanese influences have had a great impact on my artistic development, and I consider it a great honour that my objects are so highly regarded in Japan in return. Unfortunately, this triennial competition has been discontinued now.
‘Bowl’ (44 x 44 x 7cm) was made in 2017 and combines the texture and fine lines Ulrike loves to use in her work.
Where is your glass practice heading next?
The possibilities for new fusing variations are not exhausted yet; I am still discovering new facets. Glass casting in my kiln is another plan.
And finally…
Ulrike Umlauf-Orrom has a large colour and pattern library in her workshop from which to draw inspiration. Photo: James Orrom.
I am delighted to have been selected for an interview for CGS Glass Network digital, as a long-standing non-British member. My introduction to glass 40 years ago was only possible in the UK and my ‘glass roots’ lie in England. I would like to plead for the exhibitions and competitions of the CGS to remain open for non-Brits in the future, as such possibilities have been painfully reduced since Brexit.
Find out more about Ulrike and her work via her website.
Main feature image: ‘Arch Segments’ (each 35 x 12 x 31cm), made in 2022, was shown in the CGS exhibition ‘It’s all in the Technique’, at the National Glass Centre, Sunderland, UK. It is now in the National Glass Centre’s collection. All images by the artist unless stated otherwise.
On show from 27 July 2024 until 27 July 2025, the ‘Greener Glass’ exhibition at Stourbridge Glass Museum (SGM) presents the beauty and innovation of environmentally sustainable glass art.
Co-curated by UK artists in collaboration with University of Birmingham students, ‘Greener Glass’ delves into the future of glassmaking, emphasising eco-friendly practices and the artistic exploration of environmental themes. It aims to showcase a diverse array of glass artworks that highlight the importance of environmental consciousness.
By exploring the boundaries of sustainable art, contemporary glass artists reveal how their creative processes and finished works can reflect a deep commitment to preserving the planet. Featuring several talented artists, including artists-in-residence at Stourbridge Glass Museum, the exhibition showcases techniques such as kiln work, glass blowing, flame working, mosaic and cast glass.
It demonstrates the transformative power of recycled materials, turning waste into captivating art. Additionally, the works on display by SGM’s resident artists are created using 100% renewable energy at its new electric furnace and studio, exemplifying the potential of sustainable artistic practice.
Featured artists are Hannah Gibson, Jan O’Highway, Elena Fleury-Rojo, Ivet Bibet, Allister Malcolm, Terri Malcolm, Madeleine Hughes, Kate Lipson, Gill Hobson and Scarlett Leonard.
Each year, the US-based Museum of Glass (MOG) invites artists to apply for a Visiting Artist Residency in the hot shop. This week-long experience is for artists to explore new techniques or continue a current series.
Selected artists have full use of the Museum’s state-of-the-art hot shop and the assistance of its hot shop team.
Applications will be selected to support a wide variety of project scopes, including one project that draws connections between science and art, which will be awarded the Sheldon Levin Memorial Visiting Artist Residency.
Residencies are open to artists from all artistic media. Artists are responsible for travel to and from the MOG, located in Tacoma, Washington, as well as accommodation, colour and special order materials.
Contemporary glass master Allister Malcolm has been awarded the Freedom of the City of London – joining such notable names and Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher and Sir Michael Caine, who have received this honour in the past.
On 9 July 2024, he went to the Guildhall in London to receive the award at a Freedom Ceremony. Already a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers of London, Allister was presented in the traditional way through this Livery Company. In attendance were the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers’ Master David Wilkinson, Past Master Barbara Beadman and the Clerk Paul Wenham.
Speaking about the experience, Allister said, “It was a really enjoyable day; I feel very privileged to be welcomed and part of something with such a deep history.”
While nowadays most of the practical reasons for obtaining the Freedom of the City have disappeared (such as the right to drive sheep over London Bridge and to carry a naked sword in public), it remains a unique part of London’s history.
The medieval term ‘freeman’ meant someone who was not the property of a feudal lord but enjoyed privileges such as the right to earn money and own land. Town dwellers who were protected by the charter of their town or city were often free – hence the term ‘freedom’ of the City.
From the Middle Ages and the Victorian era, the Freedom was the right to trade, enabling members of a Guild or Livery to carry out their trade or craft in London’s Square Mile. A fee or fine would be charged and, in return, the Livery Companies would ensure that the goods and services provided were of the highest standards. In 1835, the Freedom was widened to incorporate not just members of Livery Companies but also people living or working in the City or those with a strong London connection.
Image: (left to right) The Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers’ Master David Wilkinson, Past Master Barbara Beadman, Allister Malcolm and the Clerk Paul Wenham.
Glass artist Chris Day has created a blown glass and mixed media modular installation for Liverpool’s Walker Art Gallery, which provides a powerful message about the city’s historic involvement with the slave trade.
Presented by the Contemporary Art Society through the Griffin Award, which supports the annual acquisition of an important work in a craft medium, ‘Now you see me’ will be displayed alongside the painting that inspired it – ‘The Card Party’ by Gawen Hamilton (1698-1737).
Day saw the 18th-century painting at the Walker, in which a small, black servant is hidden in the painting. His new work sheds light on this child’s story and the experiences of others who have been silenced.
Seeing themselves in the quasi-reflective glass, viewers observe an image that is present, but not quite there, mirroring the essence of the boy. The glass pieces are encased in a series of wooden boxes made of recycled pallet wood. The transformation of the wood into artwork mirrors Day’s own journey from plumber to artist, serving as a reminder that, with dedication and opportunities, one has the power to redefine paths and perceptions. While ‘Now you see me’ centres around the representation of a black boy, Day hopes that the work will resonate with a wider audience, reflecting broader themes and narratives.
Through his often-personal works, Day explores his own identity as a mixed-race man. His research into his ancestry has led him to expose the stories of the transatlantic slave trade and its legacies in his art. Day’s primary purpose is to engage the audience on difficult issues, using art to overcome the traumas that haunt our collective past. The beauty of his work invites closer inspection, creating a striking contrast with his powerful message.
Day rediscovered his passion for art after working as a heating engineer for 20 years. He graduated from Wolverhampton University in 2021 with an MA in Design and Applied Art, where he studied ceramics and glass. His former trade informs his artistic practice and he incorporates found materials from the heating industry into his work.
Commenting on the new installation, Day said, “My passion lies in making work that sparks reflection on the transatlantic slave trade. I am delighted to have the chance to create a commission that will start a conversation in Liverpool, so deeply rooted in that trade.
“I am proud that my work will be part of the Walker’s collections and I’m eager to see the reactions and discussions it may provoke.”
Nicola Scott, Curator of Decorative Art at National Museums Liverpool, added, “I am delighted that Chris Day has created this new commission for the Walker, presented by the Contemporary Art Society through the Griffin Award. It is an exciting opportunity to acquire an artwork by one of the UK’s leading glass makers.”
‘Now you see me’ opens on 6 August 2024 and runs until 24 November 2024. Admission is free, with donations welcome.
Whether you’re an artist keen to access The Studio’s expanded collection of equipment and facilities or a scholar delving into the history of glassmaking, the US-based Corning Museum of Glass has a range of residencies available for 2025. Applications must be submitted by the end of August or beginning of September, depending on residency.
Corning’s Studio’s artist-in-residence programme invites artists to engage in practice-based glassmaking, to explore new directions in the material or expand their current practice. It provides housing, a meal stipend, transport to and from Corning, New York, and a residency manager to act as liaison to additional services in Corning and at the Museum. Residencies last five weeks or six-to-eight weeks.
Residents have access to the Museum’s unparalleled resources, including a comprehensive collection of over 50,000 glass objects, the world’s foremost research library on glass, and one of the most extensively equipped glassmaking facilities in the world, including the new neon shop and digital fabrication room. Find out more and apply here by 31 August 2024.
The Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) Residency is an extension of The Studio artist-in-residence programme. It aims to assist underrepresented artists while actively fostering a culture and community of inclusion that promotes, respects, and celebrates diversity. Find out more and apply here by 31 August 2024.
The David Whitehouse Research Residency for Artists allows artists from all disciplines to participate in scholarly research to further inform their practice in glass. Up to three weeks can be spent exploring the extensive collections of the Rakow Research Library and the Museum with assistance from staff. This is not a “making” residency. Find out more and apply here by 31 August 2024.
The David Whitehouse Research Residency for Scholars provides scholars with up to three weeks to explore the collection of the Rakow Research Library and connect with expert Museum staff. This residency creates opportunities to advance glass knowledge or make progress on a developing project. Find out more and apply here by 3 September 2024.
Read about the 2024 Corning artists-in-residence here.
Corning Museum of Glass is at One Museum Way, Corning, NY 14830, USA. Website: https://home.cmog.org
Irish glass artist Fiona Byrne describes her experience as the first artist in residence at Farnham World Craft Town in Surrey, UK. From a studio at Farnham Maltings and with access to the glassmaking facilities at UCA Farnham, she had a month to research and create an artwork for the town.
Earlier in 2024 I was honoured to be the inaugural Farnham World Craft Town Artist in Residence, funded by the Farnham South Street Trust and managed by Farnham Town Council. The experience was pivotal for me in my artistic practice and will have long-lasting effects on how I make.
I work through sculptural and visual mediums to explore how we create and store knowledge. Delving into the idea of intelligence as an ecosystem that encompasses human and more-than-human nature, this thinking expands intelligence not just to plants and creatures, but also to materials and things. Informed by feminist theory, my work encourages relational and empathic ways of interacting with the world.
Fiona Byrne was able to use the hot shop facilities at UCA Farnham to create her work. Photo: Seamus Flanagan.
This relational approach is reflected in the ethos of The World Crafts Council’s ‘World Craft City Programme’, which was launched in 2014 in recognition of the pivotal roles played by local authorities, craftspeople and communities in cultural, economic and social development worldwide. It establishes a dynamic network of craft cities across the globe, aligning with the principles of the creative economy. Farnham is England’s first World Craft Town.
The residency was well organised by the Farnham Town Council team – particularly Pippa Hufton, who was my liaison for the programme. Prior to the placement, we agreed the scope of the activities and what materials, facilities and contacts I would need for the month-long opportunity. A month is not long to get to know a new place and create an artwork to leave behind, but I decided I would use this tight time frame to structure the residency.
Education and outreach have always been a big part of what I do, having worked in museums, galleries, universities and government bodies over the years, facilitating experiences with other people’s art practices. I wanted to bring my expertise in this area into my artwork in a more embedded way. This was the perfect opportunity to design a self-contained engagement, which responded to the town and its people.
On arriving in Farnham, I was really touched by the welcome I received, along with a warm reception from the Mayor. I was put in contact with many local creatives, given places to visit, set up with a display at the New Ashgate Gallery and brought on a tour of the Farnham Pottery. But it wasn’t all socialising! Once I was settled into my studio at the Farnham Maltings and inducted into the excellent facilities at UCA Farnham, I began to test ideas.
Workshop participants used tools made from materials like twigs, masking tape, rocks and moss to draw with ink on sheets of paper. Photo: Seamus Flanagan.
At the start of week two I facilitated a workshop. This would form the basis of the work I was to make at Farnham. The workshop involved a group of local makers. We considered the ecosystem of making, discussing how materials, tools, space and people come together to form collective intelligence. By creating tools from materials we gathered from the area, learning to use these tools and sharing this knowledge within the group, a co-operative series of sketches in clay and paper was produced.
Local makers in the workshop made marks on clay tiles as part of the collaborative project. Photo: Seamus Flanagan.
These formed the basis of a series of experiments in the workshops, where I was creating pieces that could be assembled into final works. The process was fast and, to be honest, a little exhausting and scary. I knew how I wanted to create, but not what the result would be.
Fiona Byrne stands on a step blowing down a glassblowing pipe, pushing molten glass into a plaster mould held by artists Aria Kiani and Laura Quinn. Photo: Seamus Flanagan.
Translating the marks made on clay into glass, both directly, by blowing it molten into the clay, and indirectly, by making plaster moulds of the clay, I explored the visual language we had created in the workshop. Playing with scale, dimension and materials, the forms created reference Farnham’s cultural heritage, drawing inspiration from vernacular architecture, museum artefacts and the area’s industrial history of ceramics.
What exactly the pieces would be was unknown right up to the last night, when all the elements were brought together:thrown ceramic, blown glass, cold-worked pieces, cast glass, glazed tiles, drawings and tools from the workshop. For years I have been telling people in my classes to trust the process, but now I felt I was really pushing that trust.
A display of the tools made with sticks, rocks, twigs and elastic bands, along with the ceramic tiles. Photo: Seamus Flanagan.
The day of the open studio, when I revealed the work, was nerve-wracking as I wasn’t sure how the collaborating makers would respond to how I had interpreted their input, or how the team from Farnham Craft Town would react to this new sculpture, which was very different to my previous work. But, for me, that was the joy – doing something completely new that I would never have made if I had not been in that place with the people I encountered. The work is a tangible representation of our collective knowledge and experience.
A selection of the tools used to make the abstract ink drawings shown in the background. Photo: Seamus Flanagan.
During the residency I exchanged skills with local makers, as well as the staff and students at UCA Farnham, trying out new techniques and experimenting to push my skills further. There were successes and losses in the process, yet all these learning experiences formed part of the thinking around the formation of the work.
Fiona Byrne shaping hot glass, assisted by Aria Kiani in the UCA Farnham hot shop. Photo: Seamus Flanagan.
I titled the series ‘Things we can know’. The structure of ‘Things we can know’ means its final form is flexible; it is able to adapt and respond to its environment. It allows room for future curatorial choice and a re-formation of the presentation of the elements, enabling the works to absorb more collective knowledge as they continue to interact with the world.
I had enormous support during the residency, from the wonderful Teague family, who housed and fed me, to the expert professional assistance of UCA’s artists in residence Áine Ryan and Aria Kiani, to the staff across the Maltings, Farnham Town Council, UCA, the New Ashgate, the Craft Study Centre, Farnham Pottery, Pierrepont Farm and Farnham Museum. There are too many people to name here, but I am grateful to you all and my practice is richer for having learned from you.
I would highly recommend this experience to anyone thinking of applying to the programme. Applications for next year’s residency are open between June and August 2024 and will take place in Spring 2025. Find out more and apply here.
By Fiona Byrne
Read this video interview with Fiona, recorded by Seamus Flanagan.
Find out more about Fiona and her work via her website and follow her on Instagram.
Main feature image: Detail of glass bowl forms containing a snail shell and a cast glass snail shell set on a marked clay tile, made as part of ‘Things we can know’. Photo: Seamus Flanagan.
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