AACG - Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass

Ben Edols & Kathy Elliott

Artist Statement:

In recent times I feel as though we have seen the veneer of civilization we all acknowledged was keeping a general lid on chaos around the world start to crumble. It makes this work more pertinent to me as the imagery of powerful, surging bodies of water is a continuing metaphor for me of existing in a world of chaos. The questions I ask myself are: what is our steady rock, can we create opportunity in times of upheaval, what can we hope for?

Once again having the processes of blowing glass and carving glass to turn to as a refuge from circumstances that are outside our control is a relief, and we are able to get swept up in doing what we both love.

For Ben, challenging himself in the hotshop, the camaraderie of working in a team, and the intense focus of applying their skill to create beautiful objects under extreme pressure is where he thrives. The pieces in this show are complex - blown by a team of three glassblowers using multiple processes and colors. To have them survive the blowing process is a win.

For me, I love the process of using the carving wheels to work towards creating a design on the glass - the looking, the thinking, the stages of rough carving through to detailing - having a relationship with the work as it evolves over time. There is risk taking in the carving process, because these pieces are beautiful before I cut them. Will it be an improvement, will it be cohesive with the body of work we have already made, will it be interesting to me?

Kathy Elliott, March 2026

About Ben Edols & Kathy Elliott

As one of the most one of the most dynamic and enduring partnerships in contemporary Australian glass, Ben Edols and Kathy Elliott have created glass art together for over 30 years. They have collaborated on artwork that has inspired many through its beautiful and compelling use of color, form, pattern, and light. They have developed a shared visual language that unites Ben’s refined blown forms with Kathy’s expressive carved surfaces—each artist pushing the other into new understandings of material, technique and possibility.

Created between Canberra Glassworks, where Kathy undertook a focused residency, and the hot shop, where Ben produced the luminous forms that underpin their practice, their new series reflects the evolution of their long-standing creative dialogue. The Spaces Between highlights their commitment to experimentation, trust, and the continual expansion of their collaborative vocabulary.

Ben Edols has been blowing glass since 1987. He received his BA from Sydney College of the Arts and went on to successfully complete a postgraduate diploma at Canberra School of Art in 1992. Since that time Ben has traveled to work alongside colleagues in America, Italy, and Japan. He has given glassblowing workshops at Pilchuck Glass School, The Studio of the Corning Museum of Glass, Toyama Institute of Glass Art, Niijima Glass Centre, The Jam Factory, and Sydney College of the Arts.

Kathy Elliott has been working with glass since 1988. Kathy received her BA from Canberra School of Art in 1992. She has specialized in cold working techniques and has given workshops at The Studio of the Corning Museum of Glass, Pilchuck Glass School, Toyama Institute of Glass Art, South Australian University at Underdale, and Canberra School of Art. 

Ben and Kathy’s work has been exhibited widely and is held in major public and private collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Corning Museum of Glass in New York, the Toyama Glass Museum in Japan, and the National Gallery of Australia. 

Click here for an artists' resume.

Acknowledgment of Gallery:
We are grateful to Sabbia Gallery, Sydney, Australia, for providing the Artist of the Month.