Una Galbraith

Una uses a kiln to fuse and slump powdered and sheet glass to create 3-dimensional objects as a way of exploring things she's interested in, predominantly nature, psychology and science. She seeks to explore the relationship between humans and nature and deepen her understanding of the natural world and her relationship with it.

Una applies glass powders to clear sheet glass before making marks into the glass powder. The marks are symbolic of her concepts with each mark made by hand. It is a slow process that Una says lets her reflect more on her ideas as the work emerges. Minute movements in her hand or wrist can cause the glass powder to move in unexpected ways, changing the flow of the marks. Una says, “I value these subconscious inputs. I think they add more liveliness to my marks and create distinctions between pieces within collections.”

The powder and sheet glass is fired in the kiln several times to build the complexity of colours and marks, before being fired a final time to create a 3D vessel. Each vessel requires several kiln firings which each take 24 hours before they are then cold-worked using a combination of machinery and hand-finishing techniques.

In the Awaken collection Una aims to celebrate resilience, hope and optimism:

At each vessel’s centre there’s colour - sometimes bold, sometimes subtle and across the whole spectrum of the rainbow. I want to represent the complexity within each of us and express my belief that even as we change and life changes us, there’s a core part of us that stays the same. I want to celebrate the idea that we can find refuge amongst the chaos and difficulties of life within ourselves. That we can reconnect to who we are, with new understanding, but at some level, still who we’ve always been.”