The Glass Heart exhibition to showcase 170 years of glass

A new London exhibition, ‘The Glass Heart’, will bring together key regional collections, techniques and artists for the first time at Two Temple Place. Opening in January 2024, the show will present more than 100 glass artworks, spanning 170 years of creativity in the field.

It will highlight works from the UK’s historic industrial glass heartlands of Stourbridge in the Black Country and Sunderland in the North East, alongside the contemporary home of stained glass at the Stained Glass Museum in Ely. It will explore the narratives central to glass art and manufacturing, and celebrate the timeless skills, artistry and innovation required to work with this challenging material.

Tracing a unique chronology of glass production through both industrial and artistic developments, the exhibition will demonstrate how distinctive styles were synonymous with regional stories and social histories. From cameo vessels featuring classical and mythological subject matter, to etched and engraved vases and commemorative goblets, the exhibition will examine the qualities of this reflective, expressive and sculptural form.

Artists showcased will include Anthony Amoako-Attah, Edward Burne-Jones, Monster Chetwynd, Brian Clarke, Chris Day, Ryan Gander, Wilhelmina Geddes, Hardman & Co, Sam Herman, Alison Kinnaird, Peter Layton, Harvey Littleton, Pinkie Maclure, William Morris, Anne Vibeke Mou, John Piper, Ayako Tani, Christopher Whall and Emma Woffenden.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a programme of cultural events for adults and children, including talks, lectures, demonstrations and workshops.

The Glass Heart is a Two Temple Place exhibition, produced in partnership with Stourbridge Glass Museum, the Stained Glass Museum, Ely and National Glass Centre, Sunderland.

‘The Glass Heart’ is on from 27 January-21 April 2024 and admission is free. Opening Times are: Tuesday, Thursday-Saturday 11am-6pm; Wednesday Late 11am-9pm; Sunday 11am-4:30pm. Closed on Mondays and Easter Sunday.

Two Temple Place is a magnificent and eccentric neo-Gothic mansion in central London, owned and run by registered charity the Bulldog Trust.

More information on the exhibition here.

Two Temple Place, London WC2R 3BD, UK. www.twotempleplace.org

Image: Detail of ‘Judge & Jury’ by Chris Day (2023), featuring glass and microbore copper pipe, © the artist. Courtesy of Vessel Gallery. Photo: Agata Pec