Born and schooled in Wellington, New Zealand, Christine Cathie trained as a graphic artist and subsequently developed a highly successful career in graphic design.
Attracted by the challenge of working in three dimensions, Cathie began to explore cast glass as a creative medium. “Glass is a very seductive material. Its ability to transmit light to produce tonality interested me and I continue to explore this in my work,” says Cathie.
Taking her inspiration from the geographical features of her homeland, Cathie’s pieces start as simple rectangles which she curves and twists to create soft, folded sculptural forms. The simplicity of the abstract shapes allows the beauty of the properties of the glass to shine the different densities modulating the tone and colour of the piece.
Milford Gallery director Stephen Higginson comments “the curvaceous ribbon and waveforms of Cathie’s work have a spontaneous elegance that comes from its gentle luminosity and the simplicity and purity of its undulating form, she uses the angularity of edge and shape deftly.”
Making a name for herself as a “rising star” (Art Review, Christchurch Press 19.10.05), Cathie’s distinctive work has been exhibited widely in New Zealand and Australia and her reputation is building globally. She has been a finalist in the prestigious Australasian Ranamok glass prize for three consecutive years from 2002.
Cathie’s fascination with the exquisite alchemy that occurs in the artistic manipulation of glass continues to feed her inspiration, coupled with her love of the ever changing patterns that nature herself provides.
