sabbia gallery

Ceramics, Glass + Fibre

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Kirstie Rea, SOLD Outside/Inside No. 8, 2009, kiln formed glass and painted steel, H 50 x W 120 x D 65cm

Main Gallery   11 March - 11 April 2009

Kirstie Rea – In the Presence of Blue

Kirstie has achieved enormous artistic success with her kiln formed glass wall panels and sculptures over the last 22 years. Her work has been included in the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, The National Gallery of Australia and the Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung Foundation in Germany.

At the recent Ausglass conference in Hobart, Tasmania, she was awarded the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Kirstie’s work has epitomised the elements of Australian contemporary glass that has drawn attention from around the world., with seductive surfaces created by cold working and her determination to push the boundaries of the medium.

Kirstie has been an ongoing advocate for the development and success of Australian glass within the international arena. She was the instigator of the widely recognised Latitudes workshops and touring exhibitions. Through her relationship with the Bullseye Glass Company, Pilchuck Glass School in the USA and North Lands Creative Glass in Scotland; and having served as a board member of the Glass Art Society, she has provided greater scope and opportunities for many talented Australians to exhibit and work overseas.

Aside from being highly active in the international glass arena, Kirstie has been a wonderful teacher and mentor to many of our most promising contemporary glass artists.

This new series of wall and free standing architectural forms incorporating glass and steel are an exciting direction for Kirstie. Her use of internal and external space challenges the viewer’s perspective of each piece, and allows them to interact in a very familiar way.