What is Glass Chrysalis II?
Glass Chrysalis II is an eye-opening exhibition that spotlights Australia’s leading glassmakers, inviting visitors to witness the desde of craft, heat, and precision that define contemporary glass art. The show gathers a cohort of artists whose practice spans intricate cold-work to fiery hot-shop experimentation, offering a window into the discipline, dedication, and innovation that push glass beyond its traditional boundaries.
Spotlighting Australia’s Glass Masters
The exhibition centers on a roster of acclaimed glass artists who have shaped the country’s glassmaking landscape. Among them is Isobel Waters, a masterful practitioner who embodies the intense focus and tactile tenacity of hot-shop work. When she works with a blowpipe to form molten glass bubbles, Waters often spends an entire four-hour shift on a single piece. Her process, performed at furnace temperatures that can reach up to 650°C, demonstrates how minutes stretched into hours can yield fragile, luminous forms that carry a lifetime of intent. The show uses Waters’ practice as a lens to explore how patience, heat, and hand skill converge to create objects that feel both ancient and immediate.
The Craft in Focus: From Heat to Habit
In Glass Chrysalis II, visitors step through a curated sequence of demonstrations, studio notes, and finished works that reveal the lifecycle of a glass piece. The journey begins with raw silica and colorants, ascends through the furnace’s roaring heat, and moves into the cooler, more precise stages of shaping, cooling, and finishing. The exhibition emphasizes the artisanal rhythms of glassmaking—the repeated, intimate adjustments a maker makes to coax clarity, color, and form from a once-molten, often stubborn material. Viewers gain insight into the discipline required to shape glass that may look effortless but is, in truth, the product of meticulous recalibration and an acute sensitivity to material behavior.
A Dialogue Between Artists and Audience
Glass Chrysalis II is designed to be participatory in spirit. Beyond gallery walls, the show fosters conversations between artists and visitors about technique, material sourcing, and the environmental considerations of glass production. The exhibition program includes artist talks, live demonstrations, and facilitated tours that demystify the craft while underscoring its contemporary relevance. This dialogue helps demystify the sense that glassmaking is a relic of the past and instead presents it as a living, evolving art form that mirrors broader cultural currents.
Why It Matters: Art, Process, and Place
Australia’s glassmakers have long contributed to a global conversation about materiality and design. Glass Chrysalis II situates these practitioners within a wider context of design thinking, innovation, and regional storytelling. The works on view highlight how location—industrial hubs, coastal studios, and remote workshops—shapes aesthetics and technique. The show also draws attention to the sustainability challenges facing glass production and the inventive solutions artists employ to minimize waste, reuse heat, and advocate for responsible studio practices.
What to Expect from a Visit
For museum-goers and first-time visitors alike, Glass Chrysalis II offers an accessible entry point into a demanding field. Expect a visual journey from the visceral glow of hot shop sessions to the quiet, contemplative appreciation of finished forms. The exhibition’s layout is designed to guide visitors through the process-driven narrative while allowing space for personal interpretation and inspiration. Whether you’re a student of design, a patron of contemporary craft, or simply curious about how light becomes material, this exhibition provides a compelling portrait of a vital artistic community in Australia.
