Kathryn Wightman Glass

profile

She received a BA (First) in Glass and Ceramics in 2004, followed by an MA in Glass (Distinction) in 2005. In 2005 she was awarded a two year Next Move placement from the Crafts Council in conjunction with the University of Sunderland. This enabled her to establish her thriving business. Whilst working with glass she has developed innovative techniques based on the layering of screen printed transfers and sandblasted patterns and also flocked detailing which creates a luxurious velveteen texture. Her inspiration stems from textiles and fashion from the world around her resulting in an explosion of colour, pattern, texture, image and text. She uses the technique of layering to create an intriguing illusion of depth. Sandblasted silhouettes hide and reveal images or create pattern. The process is laborious. With her fastidious attention to detail, the results are beautifully simple yet challengingly complex, worth the effort and demonstrate the confidence she has with her medium and her willingness to push the boundaries. Her work is often tongue in cheek and gives her audience something to comment about, often introducing a rhetorical statement.

In 2007 she began a three year PhD research project at the University of Sunderland funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council to investigate the areas of hot glass and print. Over the last four years she has received grants from Arts Council (North East), Creativitiworks and Cohesion Glass Network. In 2007 she won best 'newcomer' in the Journal Cultural Awards. She was a North East finalist in the Shell Young Entrepreneur of the Year Competition and won the Creative Industries Category in the Sunderland Blue Print Competition.

In addition to studying, running her extremely successful business she also undertakes adult education teaching for both Newcastle and Gateshead Council. As well as working extremely hard she is a keen Irish dancer, competeing to World Championship standard. Kathryn’s passion for Irish dancing and the colourful costumes are apparent in the bold and vibrant colour palette she favours and have a profound and exhilarating effect. Watch this space!