Clare Belfrage at Canberra Glassworks

When I was in Canberra I went to see the Canberra Glassworks. This magnificent gallery/workshop is housed in an old powerhouse and is "Australia's only cultural centre that is wholly dedicated to contemporary glass art."



The gallery is an intimate size which I consider perfect for viewing craft, it means you can get really close to the works and immerse yourself in the surface. The works of the new Creative Director Clare Belfrage were on display. These beautiful works use the medium of glass to talk about nature. Belfrage's use of opaque glass and gestural textured line brings attention to the refractory quality of glass. From a distance the forms are mysterious and beguiling the light just catching on the rough lines winding around the form, in detail they are rich, and textured, changing colour with the play of natural light through the gallery windows.