New show details the history of glassmaking

Humans first began making glass more than 4,000 years ago, but glass as an art form only became recognized in the 1960s.

The ongoing exhibition at Liuli China Museum in Shanghai, A Thread of Light－Colin Reid With 3 Generations of British Kiln-cast Glass Artists, is now presenting a showcase of the development of glass art in Britain over the past 50 years.

The nine artists and their 36 creations have presented "almost a dynastic history of contemporary glass art in Britain", says Chang Yi, founding director of Liuli China Museum.

According to Chang, all the artists involved in the fundamental changes in the history of glass art of Britain are being presented during the exhibition.

"We have been introducing important glass-art creations to Asia for the past 33 years ... because we believe cultural exchange is a must, and can't be stopped," says Chang.

"We have to learn about the world, and we have to make ourselves seen and understood by the rest of the world, at the same time."

Jenny Tsai, curator of the exhibition and head of the international communications department at Liuli China Museum, says that it was only in the 1960s when glass artists began to set up studios and explore creative expressions through kiln-cast glass. Since then, three generations of British kiln-cast glass artists have radically transformed the field into a flourishing and robust discipline.

"This exhibition will take audiences on a journey through the evolution of contemporary British glass, its history, progression, breakthroughs and innovations," she says.

The exhibition starts with a showcase on Keith Cummings, a British artist who authored The Techniques of Kiln-formed Glass and A History of Glassforming. Known as the founding father of British kiln-formed glass, Cummings has ushered in a new era of British glass and continues to inspire young artists today, Tsai says.

On show at the exhibition is Cummings' creation titled Red Stack, which features the combination of glass, copper and tin and several kiln-cast techniques including slump casting, precision cutting, grinding and polishing. The work highlights "his masterful grasp of color and form, as well as his knowledge of watercolor".

Colin Reid, one of Cummings' most prominent disciples, is also featured at the event. His exhibited works include a collection that was inspired by the sea.

Reid had collaborated with Loretta H. Yang, co-founder of Liuli China Museum and a renowned glass artist, for a displayed piece titled Loretta's Orchids. Yang designed the work to be delicate and a representation of the tenacity of the orchid, while Reid created a form of optical glass with meticulous cuts for maximum refraction.

Younger artists such as Sally Fawkes and Karen Browning have also brought new expressions with their experiments that feature new colors, textures and qualities of the materials.

If you go

10 am-5 pm, Tuesday-Sunday, Sept 5-March 7, 2021. Liuli China Museum, 25 Taikang Road, Huangpu district, Shanghai. 021-6467-2268.