The past term has marked a significant chapter in my development as a creative, offering both challenges and revelations that have deepened my understanding of material, form, and conceptual intent. My journey began with a curiosity rooted in the domestic tracing the lineage of household objects and their evolving significance in contemporary life. This initial inquiry led me to explore Victorian taxonomical habits and their transformation into modern living practices, serving as a rich foundation for the work to come.
Over the festive period, I compiled a growing archive of visual references, images that would quietly underpin the conceptual and material direction of my practice. I found that comparing images from different locations allowed me to conceptualise ideas. By taking traces from structural lines in nature, I was able to form a body of ideas which were the foundations for technical developments in workshops. My attention this term focused towards glass—a medium that seemed to embody both delicacy which I saw from natural forms such as delicate flowers or sunlight refractions and permanence of rock formations and historic life museums which collections were locked in time periods. Engaging with glass allowed me to develop two intersecting but distinct lines of inquiry: one grounded in material exploration to test the limits of glass and the other in conceptual clarity, linking my research directly to my skills base and incorporating my online manipulations through CAD/ CAM workshops. I used the early weeks of workshop access to refine my glassblowing technique , allowing me to readily develop my concepts to a better quality and with more precision with regards to sketches.The body of work I created motivated me to establish a professional standard that could support future sales of my work and exhibitions. This would later inform my collection which will be displayed at New Designers.
Within both the Glass and Laser workshops, questions emerged around the value and potential of individual materials, especially when juxtaposed or integrated such as works which were showcased in my February Installation tests. These were based off further research into Steph Huang’s Practice, specifically, ‘A regular Arrangement’ (2024) which depicted the reuse of found and manufactured materials placed, highlighting the empy space and the work ‘the gone room’ (2024) behind. These prompted me to collaborate glasswork with my laser outcomes in paper and polymer to understand the interaction of different material and the impact digital has on their enhancements. These works became a key moment where I began layering found and made artefacts to examine how their sculptural relationships shifted when placed in dialogue. Tutor feedback highlighted the unintentional beauty in material "mistakes"—rough trimmings, projections onto glass leaving refractions, and the tensions between control in the material and chance in its presentation.
Feedback led me to explore the interaction between light and glass more deliberately. I began crafting forms with the intention of testing how texture and shape could manipulate light, extending my glassblowing skills and pushing the boundaries of refraction. I was struck by the emotional weight that a single burst of colour or a fleeting moment of illumination could carry—echoes of memory, like a rainbow, capable of evoking joy yet uniquely interpreted by each viewer. These were reflected in my image research, specifically where a glass droplet interacted with a spotlight to refract a variation of colours in the space. This realisation became central to my artistic research, prompting me to pursue everyday moments as sites of profound transformation under new conditions. As a result, my Research drew into installation art by artists such as the work ‘Light green leaves with light’ by Hyun Jean Lee, exploring the large scale works and exploring technicalities behind installation and practice base. I was specifically drawn to the use of projection and light to create the effect of depth in the work, transforming a simple dark space into a small forest. The depth of the light creates the illusion of a new environment or uncanny feeling. By exploring the visual aesthetic and spacial arrangement of works and audience interactions, I recognised the significance with regards to installation and my own work to relate my audience to perceive my own work as a fleeting moment or familiar memory.
Simultaneously, the structured precision of my laser work continued to feel slightly removed from the fluidity of the glass pieces. Scale became a lingering consideration—how could I achieve the same impact across both mediums? This tension led to a proposal for the Vertical Gallery commission, where I attempted to tailor my work to both The Lowry and Holden Gallery spaces. Though ultimately unsuccessful, the process and feedback refined my approach to large-scale installations and helped me clarify my creative priorities.
During my Mid-Module Review, I presented the two strands of my practice separately. The Laser-based installation, a 2.5-meter triangle inspired by Victorian stair grips and traditional William Morris wallpaper samples from last term’s research, sought to highlight negative space using light. This was tested in different spaces and suspended from different angles to allow light to change from its installation. This was to act upon research into my artist research and explore the abilities which installation poses on rigid structures. Meanwhile, my light-refraction-based glass work remained more fluid, though installation challenges persisted. A third, evolving outcome involved delicately interlocked glass strands—initially compromised by their lack of annealing, and later, unexpectedly shattered during review due to stress distribution. Individual dish installations also failed to withstand suspension due to the nature of the delicate loops which were crafted to aid the installation process. This was also partially due to testing conditions of the piece, which in early stages involved a small fan to test the pace which the work should move. The tension of the work was high due to the piece being agitated at high speeds. These failures became a valuable learning moment, highlighting the importance of both process and structural foresight.
Review conversations made it clear that the Laser installation ‘Trellis,’ while well-developed, felt too conceptually distant from the glass outcomes. I chose to pause work on this piece, with the intention of revisiting it later in my career. Meanwhile, discussions around the glass artefacts and their interaction with specific spotlights led to an exciting new development. I discovered a particular spotlight that expanded colour in ways that elevated the visual language of my pieces. This piece became more complete, allowing me to fully grasp the nature of the work and the concept of slowing the viewer down by grasping a feeling of familiarity in the piece. It moved slowly allowing for the light to never fully sit still in the spotlight, constantly forming new shapes which reminded me of the way light refracted off water fluidly.
In response to failed outcomes, I recreated over 70 glass strands to form a mobile, testing its durability in various light conditions and environments. Low light brought out a subtle, ever-shifting quality, softening edges and inviting questions around perception and scale. The sculpture became more than an object; it became an experience, never fully revealed at once, always in motion. During final installation, the outcome failed within 24 hours, causing me to redisplay the work , highlighting its delicacy and the premenance of individual strands after its collapse. This was displayed as fallout, providing security for the work in the exhibition and for viewers who were at rick of experiencing further fallout prior to its collapse.
Alongside this piece, I hand-blew 15 glass discs, each with suspension loops designed for near-invisible display using fishing line. The work would however, only require one piece which was to be selected upon installation, with others acting as backups and for other exhibitions including Nocturne at Antwerp mansion where this piece will be displayed alongside other sculptors alongsode the degree show. As the pieces slowly rotate under a spotlight, the refracted shapes form complex, ephemeral compositions. The sense of levitation heightens the illusion, while conversations with my tutor prior to the final installation helped refine the positioning of the light—casting partial eclipses that emphasised the material’s elegance and complexity. The final installation of this piece Invited witnesses to slow down their thinking to focus directly on the eclipsing light, spearating the work away from other installations in the degree show to highlight its ability to displace thought and to individualise the space and its changing identity.
This term has been one of discovery and integration—of technical refinement, conceptual grounding, and the quiet beauty of fleeting moments made tangible through light and glass. I now move forward with a deeper understanding of how material and memory can intersect to create work that is both grounded and transcendent.