Rebecca Tanda

My hope is to present glass as something versatile and resilient by honoring traditional craftsmanship & continuing to push what this material is capable of conveying.

Q&A

Artist Statement

My work uses glass flameworking & pâte-de-verre glass fusing techniques. I juxtapose the glass with different materials to create ornaments and jewellery to explore material preconceptions. The optic qualities of glass is what first drew me to the material, and then to ultimately dedicate myself to the craft of flame working. I have an affective relationship with materials, considering not only their formal qualities but also their emotional and cultural properties. This has led me to move beyond using glass for just its transparency to creating an array of different textures and surfaces. These glass surfaces are covered and adorned with stitched silicone, thread and glass beads, among other materials. In so doing, some of the oldest and newest material commodities meet to create unique pieces of adornment. Especially of interest to me are brooches, which I view as I kind of autonomous body sculpture.

What inspires you to work with this craft?

Glass is a material full of contradictions. I am driven by a desire to understand it and make it do what it should not normally be capable of.

Are there new techniques you would like to try?

I am keen to experiment more with different fusing techniques, specifically fusing pate de verre with lampwork glass rods.