Artist of the Month
September 2023
Chris Day
Chris Day creates highly personal works in free blown glass and mixed media, and his intention is to discuss and investigate the treatment of black people in Britain and the USA, with much of his research focusing on the history of the slave trade in the 18th century and the events leading to up and during the Civil Rights Movement. Chris is represented by Vessel Gallery in London, United Kingdom.
Click on each photo to the right for a full picture.
After the Darkness, the Light, 2022; in the permanent collection of the Stourbridge Glass Museum, Stourbridge, UK; the winning commission celebrating the Contemporary Glass Society’s (CGS’s) 25th anniversary, the opening of the Museum, and the UN-designated International Year of Glass; blown & sculpted glass with mixed media
Message in a Bottle, 2022; ; 57 x 52 x 24 centimeters; blown & sculpted glass with mixed media
(left) Colour-Blind The King, 2023; handblown & sculpted glass with microbore copper pipe, copper wire and rope (right) Colour-Blind The Queen, 2023; handblown & sculpted glass with microbore copper pipe, copper wire and rope
Under the Influence, 1, 2021; 46 x 25 x 25 centimeters; blown & sculpted glass with mixed media
Under the Influence installation, 2021; all blown & sculpted glass with mixed media
Transition of Age installation, 2023; blown & sculpted glass with mixed media
Emmett Till, 2020; 42 x 36 x 28 centimeters; in the permanent collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK; blown & sculpted glass with mixed media
Wander, 2020; 28 x 62 x 20 centimeters; in the permanent collection of the Chrysler Museum, Norfolk, VA, USA; blown & sculpted glass with mixed media
Chris Day
Artist Statement:
“Like the glass, I have pushed my approach in how I work with glass and ceramics in both traditional and experimental methods to create contemporary artworks that represent my passion for this part of our history. As a black glassblower, I am one of few in the UK and on a quest to find and inspire more. My main purpose, however, 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."
About Chris Day
Day grew up in the West Midlands, (UK) where he now creates highly personal works in glass and mixed media, and his intention is to discuss and investigate the treatment of black people in Britain and the USA, with much of his research focusing on the history of the slave trade in the 18th century and the events leading to up and during the Civil Rights Movement.
A self-confessed arts enthusiast, Day’s creative career comes after more than two decades as a plumber. Initially feeling that his life had taken him on a journey that significantly detoured away from his early love of the arts, Day is now able to reflect on the fact that many of the skills he has developed in his earlier career have directly transposed to the creation of his artworks. Combining materials used in both heating and electrical systems into his creations, Day finds he 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.
A reoccurring and signature theme are copper cages that enclose his glass, representing the restriction of movement both physically and mentally that traders possessed over other humans' lives that were viewed simply as commodities. These are created from simple copper tubing and wire but to dramatic effect. By contrast, Day compares the glass in his work to the human spirit, attempting to break free despite the restrictions that hold it in place.
As an emerging artist and a recent graduate from Wolverhampton University (UK), Day received a special commendation at the 2019 British Glass Biennale held in Stourbridge, UK. Most recently under the advocacy of Vessel Gallery, his works have been acquired by the V&A Museum (UK), The National Museum of Scotland, The Chrysler Museum (Norfolk, VA), National Museum of Wales, Museum of Glass (Tacoma, WA) and many more private collections.
Acknowledgment of Gallery:
We are grateful to Vessel Gallery, London, United Kingdom, for providing the Artist of the Month.
The Art Alliance for Contemporary Glass is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to further the development and appreciation of art made from glass.
The Alliance informs collectors, critics and curators by encouraging and supporting museum exhibitions, university glass departments and specialized teaching programs, regional collector groups, visits to private collections, and public seminars.
