Stories Cast in Glass: Gensler x Chris Day | London Festival of Architecture
2nd June 2026
Stories Cast in Glass: Gensler x Chris Day | London Festival of Architecture | 1 - 31 June 2026
Curated by Gensler, SoShiro Gallery and Vessel Gallery, Stories Cast in Glass is presented as part of the London Festival of Architecture. By transforming Gensler's office lobby into a temporary gallery, this exciting change of use creates the opportunity for contemplation and dialogue, in an otherwise transitory space.
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Additionally, connecting with its local community, the exhibition has been a catalyst for partnership with the Mulberry Academy London Dock, where in collaboration with the Gensler product design team, year 8 students have been invited to visit, explore the artworks on show and create their own ‘object of belonging’.
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As part of the month-long showcase, Gensler will be hosting a panel discussion on Wednesday the 10th of June, which will allow visitors to view the exhibition, whilst considering the important role of art and community, in creating a sense of belonging in the built environment.
Free panel discussion | booking required | Further artworks by Chris Day
Stories Cast in Glass: Gensler x Chris Day
Gensler London
Moretown (formerly Thomas More Square)
London, E1W 1YW
Exhibition dates: 1st to 31st June
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Transition of Age Series
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After the Darkness, the Light
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Ancestral Gaze
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Fragmented Truths, One-Size-Fits-All and Token Gesture
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Under The Influence
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Colour-Blind The King and Queen
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ABOUT THE ARTIST
Chris Day (b. Derby, UK 1968) is an artist with a fascinating psyche. Having started his working life as a plumber and heating engineer in the West Midlands of England, after two decades, he deciding to change his life. Since graduating from Wolverhampton University in 2019, his artistic rise has been startling.
Day creates highly personal sculptural works in glass & mixed media and his intention is to discuss and investigate the treatment of black people in Britain & the USA, with much of his research focussing on the history of the slave trade in the Eighteenth Century and the events leading up to & during the Civil Rights Movement.
Combining materials used in both heating and electrical systems into his creations, Day finds he is able to create the perfect marriage of his artistic path and technical knowledge, both of which rely on dexterity and high levels of skill and craftsmanship. For Day, it has not gone unnoticed, that many of the skills he has developed in his earlier career have directly transposed to the creation of his artworks, with his time at university giving him much needed artistic training.
A recurring and signature theme are 'copper cages' which enclose his glass, representing the restriction of movement both physically and mentally that traders possessed over other human's lives that were viewed simply as 'commodities'. These are created from simple copper tubing and wire but to dramatic effect. The glass, by contrast, Day compares to the human spirit, attempting to break free despite the restrictions that hold it in place.
Day says that his main purpose is to "engage the audience on issues that are hard to confront on many levels, using art to help overcome some of the traumas that haunt our collective past". His work is held in numerous private collections, as well as 14 public collections including: the V&A in London, the National Museum of Scotland and The Chrysler Museum, Virginia, USA.
Curated by Gensler, SoShiro Gallery and Vessel Gallery, Stories Cast in Glass is presented as part of the London Festival of Architecture. By transforming Gensler's office lobby into a temporary gallery, this exciting change of use creates the opportunity for contemplation and dialogue, in an otherwise transitory space.
Additionally, connecting with its local community, the exhibition has been a catalyst for partnership with the Mulberry Academy London Dock, where in collaboration with the Gensler product design team, year 8 students have been invited to visit, explore the artworks on show and create their own ‘object of belonging’.
As part of the month-long showcase, Gensler will be hosting a panel discussion on Wednesday the 10th of June, which will allow visitors to view the exhibition, whilst considering the important role of art and community, in creating a sense of belonging in the built environment.
Free panel discussion | booking required | Further artworks by Chris Day
Stories Cast in Glass: Gensler x Chris Day
Gensler London
Moretown (formerly Thomas More Square)
London, E1W 1YW
Exhibition dates: 1st to 31st June
Transition of Age Series
After the Darkness, the Light
Ancestral Gaze
Fragmented Truths, One-Size-Fits-All and Token Gesture
Under The Influence
Colour-Blind The King and Queen
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Chris Day (b. Derby, UK 1968) is an artist with a fascinating psyche. Having started his working life as a plumber and heating engineer in the West Midlands of England, after two decades, he deciding to change his life. Since graduating from Wolverhampton University in 2019, his artistic rise has been startling.
Day creates highly personal sculptural works in glass & mixed media and his intention is to discuss and investigate the treatment of black people in Britain & the USA, with much of his research focussing on the history of the slave trade in the Eighteenth Century and the events leading up to & during the Civil Rights Movement.
Combining materials used in both heating and electrical systems into his creations, Day finds he is able to create the perfect marriage of his artistic path and technical knowledge, both of which rely on dexterity and high levels of skill and craftsmanship. For Day, it has not gone unnoticed, that many of the skills he has developed in his earlier career have directly transposed to the creation of his artworks, with his time at university giving him much needed artistic training.
A recurring and signature theme are 'copper cages' which enclose his glass, representing the restriction of movement both physically and mentally that traders possessed over other human's lives that were viewed simply as 'commodities'. These are created from simple copper tubing and wire but to dramatic effect. The glass, by contrast, Day compares to the human spirit, attempting to break free despite the restrictions that hold it in place.
Day says that his main purpose is to "engage the audience on issues that are hard to confront on many levels, using art to help overcome some of the traumas that haunt our collective past". His work is held in numerous private collections, as well as 14 public collections including: the V&A in London, the National Museum of Scotland and The Chrysler Museum, Virginia, USA.