Lighting & Artworks by Heather Gillespie
Having gained her degree from Edinburgh college of Art in 2003 Heather Gillespie then moved to Kamenicky Senov in the Czech Republic. She lived there for a year and studied the art of 16th-century copper wheel engraving, an archaic process no longer taught in the UK.
If one were to fuse the aesthetic of Art Deco motifs with Iceland’s volcanic landscape, the result would be Gillespie’s mesmerizing pieces. She applies her labour-intensive and precise deep cuts and patterns to hand blown glass vessels, bowls and lighting pieces, all unique and expertly hand crafted. The interaction of the material with light and the possibilities of optical illusion by means of her skillful cutting lend themselves beautifully to her contemporary abstract imagery. Gillespie divides her time between making art pieces and teaching engraving at the University of Wolverhampton, itself a historical centre for glass excellence in the UK.
If one were to fuse the aesthetic of Art Deco motifs with Iceland’s volcanic landscape, the result would be Gillespie’s mesmerizing pieces. She applies her labour-intensive and precise deep cuts and patterns to hand blown glass vessels, bowls and lighting pieces, all unique and expertly hand crafted. The interaction of the material with light and the possibilities of optical illusion by means of her skillful cutting lend themselves beautifully to her contemporary abstract imagery. Gillespie divides her time between making art pieces and teaching engraving at the University of Wolverhampton, itself a historical centre for glass excellence in the UK.