The International Year of Glass
2022 marks the International Year of Glass, a UN initiative celebrating the essential role glass has in society, from scientific and technical breakthroughs to its importance as a medium for art and creativity. Read on for our highlights of the exhibitions and events taking place this year.
Distant Electric Vision
Vessel Gallery
Glass artist Jon Lewis produces work that is engaged with themes of recycling, the creative synthesis of glass with metal, and the transformation of outmoded consumer products into art. In his solo exhibition at Vessel Gallery this month, Lewis presents brand new works from his Moon Rocks and Apertura series, which are formed from recycled obsolescent Bang & Olufsen television screens. Until 18 February. Find out more.
Best in Glass
London Glassblowing
Elliot Walker is one of a handful of glassblowers who focus on sculpting molten glass, an extremely challenging experience that demands consummate skill, dexterity and speed. His talent won him the most recent series of the Netflix show Blown Away and during LCW 2021, Elliot and his partner in both life and glass art, Bethany Wood, showed their craft at the furnace with a live-streamed demonstration. If you missed it the first time, the video is available to watch here. Find out more.
Glassblowing Masterclass
BlowFish Glass
Fancy having a go yourself? Elliot and Bethany offer a series of workshops through their BlowFish Glass studio. You’ll learn each step of the process, from heating molten glass in the furnace to sculpting and blowing hot glass. Why not continue the festivities with the Jubilee Masterclass, which will equip you with the skills to create a bowl, bauble or paperweight inspired by the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Find out more.
A State of Matter
Henry Moore Foundation
To honour the International Year of Glass, the Henry Moore Institute is presenting a major exhibition exploring glass as a material for sculpture. A State of Matter: Modern and Contemporary Glass Sculpture explores the medium through its three different states of matter: solid, liquid and gas, presenting works by renowned international artists including Mona Hatoum, Luke Jerram and Claire Falkenstein (pictured). From 18 February – 5 June 2022. Find out more.
International Festival of Glass
Returning to Stourbridge this August, the International Festival of Glass will celebrate the skill and innovation of the glass industry and its makers, with a special focus on contemporary glassmaking in Korea, Japan, China and Taiwan. At the heart of the Festival is the British Glass Biennale, which champions excellence in contemporary glass by UK based artists, designers and craftspeople and British artists working abroad. For more information and to apply, click here.
Featured image: Distant Electric Vision by Jon Lewis, Vessel Gallery
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