This document provides biographies for various glass artists exhibiting at Vessel Gallery. It summarizes each artist's background, techniques, exhibitions, awards and collections. The artists come from different countries and have diverse experiences, but are united in their exceptional mastery of working with glass through techniques like sandcasting, engraving, flameworking and glassblowing.

2. Amanda Brisbane
Lotus
Brisbane is one of the UKʼs most
exceptional glass artists specialising in
techniques using sandcasting. Her
creations are in a dazzling list of permanent
public and private collections, most
notably the Corning Museum of Glass,
New York, the Elbeltoft Museum,
Denmark and impressively the British
Ambassador to Spainʼs private collection.
With an equally breathtaking list of
commissions too, it is perhaps her colossal
ʻMegareusʼ sculpture measuring a
staggering 4.5 metres for The Address
Hotel, Downtown Burj Dubai which
demonstrates Brisbaneʼs unique talent for
scale and drama.

3. Amy Hughes
Flora
On her first introduction to clay, Hughes
was hooked and new it would be a
lifelong passion. She is an established
ceramic artist and an illustrator in equal
measure, often combining both in her
ceramic pieces. Specialising in hand
building techniques, Hughes enjoys
working with form, texture and surface
decoration. Her work is exhibited
worldwide, has been published in
numerous books and is represented in
several of the UK’s major craft galleries.
Hughes also shares her time as an
educator at university level and runs
workshops at the V&A and other
institutions. This is Hughes’ first mixed
media piece combining ceramics with
glass.

4. Baldwin & Guggisberg
Architectural Planning
Originating from the USA and Switzerland
Baldwin & Guggisberg have now settled
their studio in Wales. Their signature style
fuses Scandinavian and Venetian
glassmaking techniques, skillfully balancing
form, colour, texture and pattern. The list
of museums and collections which have
acquired their works is impressive with
over 40 representations. Solo exhibitions,
as well as group shows, have given them
opportunities to present their works in
leading galleries and major museums in
Europe, Japan and the United States. Their
artworks rank among the best to be found
in the international glass art scene.

5. Brodi Nairn
Silver Linings
Nairn has over two decades experience
making glass, first internationally in
Switzerland, Germany and the US working
for some of the worlds leading glass
designer makers. Now based in Scotland
creating energetic, exuberant and vital
sculptural forms in hot glass. His works are
shown in both museums and galleries
throughout the UK and abroad and are
held in both private and public
commissions.
Nairn
also
runs
GLASSSTORM, a studio and gallery with
partner Nichola Burns based in Tain in the
Highlands of Scotland. The studio creates
both unique artworks, alongside designing
and manufacturing bespoke glass for the
luxury drinks industry and film industry.

6. Cathryn Schilling
Wowen Chalice
Shilling began her arts career as a graphic
designer but went on to study glass after
moving to Connecticut with her family. On
returning to the UK she studied kiln
formed glass and set up studio in London
from where she has gone on to create a
huge body and variety of work winning her
many awards and exhibited worldwide.
Shilling experiments with colour and
technique to produce beautiful one off
sculptures. Her innovative pieces push the
glass beyond our usual comfort zones.
Glass rods are woven together like fabric,
mimicking the flexibility and movement of
cloth. The apparent frailty of the glass is
balanced by the strong dynamic forms,
differing levels of light picking out layers of
colour.

7. Hanne Enemark
Imago
With abundant talent for glass blowing but
also cold working and cutting, Enemark
has shown her work globally and is
represented in the prestigious Ebeltoft
Glass Museum permanent collection. In
2012 she was awarded Elle Decorationʼs
New Designer Award and was also
nominated for Homes & Gardensʼ
Designer award the same year. As one of
the current wave of new glass stars based
in London there seems no stopping
Enemarks brilliance, in 2013 she was
nominated for the prestigious PerrierJouët Arts Salon prize. Hanne Enemark
would like to acknowledge that the
butterfly design and concept used in her
piece is by Lynne

8. Heather Gillespie
Frosti
Gillespie’s mastery of copper wheel
engraving is a direct result of her
commitment to the this archaic process.
Focusing on a technique no longer taught
in the UK, Gillespie had to relocate to the
Czech Republic for a year. Gillespie now
divides her time between her own practice
and teaching, passing on her finely tuned
skills, ultimately reviving this form of
craftsmanship. Her determination has
been rewarded with various grants and
awards from the Crafts and Art Councils
here
in
the
UK.
Now established as one of the UK’s
foremost engravers, it was in 2012 her
achievements were recognised being
awarded the ‘Overall winner of the
Balvenie Master of Crafts’.

9. James Lethbridge
Midas Jar
Lured by the transparency and liquid
nature of molten glass, Lethbridge left a
career in ceramics having discovered a
preference for this exciting and very
different medium. Lethbridge draws his
inspiration from botanical sources, he uses
the fluid organic aesthetic of hot glass to
construct objects which question
traditional relationships between sculpture
and lighting. Lethbridge has received
various awards and accolades, including
the Cockpit Art Award. He primarily works
on commissions for international private
clients and bespoke lighting designs for
high-end luxury interiors, with his
innovative techniques and specialist
knowledge of glass, he is also building a
distinct international reputation and
following.

10. Kacper Hamilton
Minarets
Kacper Hamilton & Ezgi Turksoy run an
internationally acclaimed design practice
based in London. Having developed a
unique style, which draws itʼs inspiration
from narratives, tradition and rituals, their
work often expresses modernity through
bringing elements of the past into a
contemporary context. The studio has
worked with prestigious brands such as
Pernod Ricard, Zai and Baccarat Crystal, but
also edits itʼs own limited editions ‘artmeets-design’ collectors pieces using some
of the best craftsmen available.

11. Katy Holford
Courtesy of Cumbria Crystal
Bottles
Holford is an established sculptor and
award winning international designer who
specialises in working creatively with craft
production. Her present role as Creative
Director for Cumbria Crystal - the only
remaining manufacturer of hand made
lead English crystal - sits juxtaposed with
her own studio practice, both demanding
highly differing skills and production
knowledge. From a design perspective she
has worked with companies such as
Wedgwood, Atlantis Crystal & Perrier Jouet
Champagne. By contrast her bespoke
pieces of sculpture grace the rooms of The
Savoy, Claridges and numerous Royal
Palaces and residences worldwide.

12. Laura Birdsall
Ballroom Vase
Birdsall honed her glass making skills in
various glass workshops in the UK and in
Europe where she has also extensively
exhibited, with exhibitions in the USA also
to her credit. Originally from Stourbridge,
Birdsall has maintained her passion to
work with the blown form and the
transparent and translucent properties of
glass which were the hallmark of the great
Victorian period of Stourbridgeʼs
glassmaking. Birdsallʼs work has also
received numerous awards including the
Best Newcomer for the illustrious Bombay
Sapphire Prize which toured to New
Zealand, France and Italy. Most recently
she has completed glass commissions for
various luxury cruise liners.

13. Laura Hart
Pansy Orchid
Hartʼs diverse creative career spans over
thirty years, from theatre and film to
architectural restoration of Heritage
buildings. Using 3D modelling and
visualisation software, Hart also designs
commissioned art works for a surprising
variety of creative fields. With ISO Design,
Hart worked on such varying projects as
props for Kylie Minogueʼs world tour to a
sixty foot wingspan falcon for the Dubai
World Cup racecourse. With an increasing
presence of glass in her projects, Hart
immersed herself in the medium and has
remained hooked ever since. With her
plentiful repertoire of making skills, Hart
can turn her hand to any scale, from the
architectural to the delicate veining of
flowers.

14. Liam Reeves
Glass V Metal
Reeves command of his highly precise
glass blowing skills are not only self evident
in his masterful control of this fiery
medium, but also in the ability to share his
expertise. Reeves is the hot-glass
technician at the prestigious Royal College
of Art. He has also conducted glass blowing
demonstrations for various public events,
universities and museums, most notably
the V&A. Having received several awards it
is perhaps his repeat success at the annual
Art in Action event based in Oxfordshire
where his talents have been most
acknowledged. For two consecutive years
Reeves has been awarded ʻThe Best of the
Bestʼ prize.

15. Louis Thompson
Constellation
With a professional career spanning over
25 years, Thompson is a highly
accomplished glass artist. He has taught in
the UK and abroad and has exhibited
extensively in the UK, Europe, USA and
Japan. Thompson has also produced a
fascinating array of more unusual
commissions for film and theatre as well
as private collectors and various galleries
such as the Notojima Glass art Museum,
Nanao, Japan. In 2012 Thompson
received two prestigious awards in the
UK: British Glass Biennale Winner and the
Jerwood
Foundation
Makers
Commission. In 2013 he was also
nominated for the eminent Perrier-Jouët
Arts Salon prize.

16. Louis Thompson & Hanne Enemark
Thebesian
For most glass artists, not much is possible
working in a solitary fashion and so many
strong bonds are formed where artists find
those they trust to work with. Built up over
many years the resulting relationship
becomes one that is highly intuitive, very
understanding and full of respect for each
other’s abilities. In most cases the roles are
set: artist and assistant, swapping as
required. With regards to Thompson and
Enemark, they have for the first time
moved away from assisting with each
other’s sole creations - examples of which
we have on show - and have produced a
collaborative unique piece together, not
only does it challenge the techniques used
but their making relationship with one
another.

17. Nicola Burns
Tribal Conversation
Having spent two decades making glass in
Switzerland, Holland and the USA working
for some of the worldʼs leading glass
designer makers, Burns is now based in
Scotland. She creates energetic, exuberant
and vital sculptural forms in hot glass. Her
works are shown in museums and galleries
throughout the UK and abroad as well as
taking residence in both private and public
collections. Burns also runs GLASSSTORM,
a studio and gallery with partner Brodie
Nairn based in Tain in the Highlands of
Scotland. The studio creates both unique
artworks, alongside designing and
manufacturing bespoke glass for the luxury
drinks industry and film industry.

18. Nigel Coates
Flame Vase
Coates is one of Britain’s consistently
original thinkers in architecture, interiors
and product design. He has led a parallel
career in teaching, architecture and design
practice
and
artistically
driven,
internationally recognised work. He is also
a prolific designer of lighting and furniture,
collaborating with many Italian companies,
including Alessi, AVMazzega, Fratelli Boffi,
Poltronova and Slamp. Examples of his
work are held in several museum
collections including the V&A, Cooper
Hewitt and FRAC. Having lead the
Department of Architecture at the Royal
College of Art from 1995-2011, he is now
an RCA Professor Emeritus, and in 2012
received the Annie Spink Award for
excellence in architectural education.

19. Odd Matter
Over Night Collection
Studio Odd Matter (a partnership of Els
Woldhek and Georgi Manassiev) is a
design studio driven by material
exploration and concept. By working with
existing processes but focussing on
unseen, unknown or unwanted elements
the aim is to create a different kind of
product, unique and specific to the place
they originate from. Originally Dutch
(Woldhek) and Bulgarian (Manassiev) but
currently living and working in London
having met whilst undertaking their MA
studies in the Design Products department
at The Royal College of Art. Their common
interest in the borders of creation, process
and material has put them on a shared
path. One that seeks to create products
more true and telling of their creation and
‘will’.

20. Rowan van derHolt
Dancers
Van der Holtʼs sculptural flame worked
glass has been exhibited in England, the
USA and Japan. She has received many
awards including ‘Best in Show’ by the
Contemporary Glass Society for their ʻGlass
Gamesʼ exhibition organised to coincide
with the 2012 Olympics. Based in the
South West of England van der Holts work
specialises in intricate yet varied detailed
studies ranging from the human figure to
themes of fauna and flora. Her work is
shown in galleries around the country and
produced for private commissions for
international collectors, she also has
ongoing teaching and lecturer positions.

21. Sarah Wiberley
Cameo Series
For well over a decade Wiberley has not
only assisted some of the UK’s top glass
artists but has also carved a name for
herself, establishing her pieces amongst
some of the best contemporary work
currently available. Having developed her
own signature style which utilises an
innovative application of surface
decoration onto blown glass shapes, her
‘Cameo Series’ readdresses the use of
ornament first seen in English 19th century
cameo glass. Her imagery follows similar
and traditional motifs but it is given a
contemporary twist. Wiberley has
exhibited in Europe and extensively
throughout the UK. In 2011 she won the
Royal Over Seas Music Trophy Award.

22. Simon Moore
Balustrade Collection
Moore has had to date a highly
distinguished and varied career as a maker,
designer, creative director and Royal
College of Art lecturer which has spanned
three decades. He was one of the only
outsiders ever to take on the creative
direction of a prestigious Venetian glass
company when he led at Salviati, and
closer to home with the same directorship
at Dartington Crystal. Offering too a
consultation role for such renowned
companies as Bombay Sapphire and
Nicole Farhi, Moore is a man of exceptional
talents. His works are represented in
collections globally including the
prestigious V&A permanent collection.

23. Thank you
For more information visit Vessel Gallery
website here.
To sponsor the prestigious SBID International
Design Awards 2014 , please visit our
website or email the Awards team at
awards@sbid.org