Expanding the boundaries _{by Alessia Belsito-Riera}

“Glass in New Zealand has long been seen as a material of use rather than a medium for fine art expression,” art dealer James Blackie says. “Much of that comes from our studio craft history, where glass evolved through the applied arts, and from the practical nature of New Zealand making traditions. Internationally, glass has been central to fine art for decades. Our GLASS exhibition in Wellington aims to continue the perception shift, showing that glass is intellectually rigorous, emotionally powerful, and aesthetically ambitious.”

Running at the James Blackie gallery until the 22^nd of November, GLASS presents four of New Zealand’s leading contemporary artists who are redefining what glass can mean in the context of fine art.

“Each work in GLASS speaks a different language, whether it’s molten, cast, or woven, but they share a sense of transformation,” Blackie says, adding that they have treated the exhibition space like a conversation. “Chris Charteris’ obsidian (natural volcanic glass) lei anchors the exhibition in geological time; Crystal Chain Gang’s glass rose-covered carcasses bring a poetic fragility; Emily Siddell bridges domestic and ritual forms; and Te Rongo Kirkwood fuses light, cultural ceremony, and movement. Together they create a rhythm between weight and transparency, history and innovation”.

Suspended from the ceiling, wall mounted, and delightfully catching the sunlight, the artworks are internationally informed, materially innovative, and firmly grounded in local narratives, marking a new chapter for glass art in Aotearoa.

Blackie hopes the works will redefine public perception of glass as a medium capable of profound storytelling and cultural resonance. “These four artists are expanding the boundaries of what glass can do, technically, conceptually, and culturally”.