"The images in my glass vessels come from dreams, odd and mythical, a poetic world of traveling circuses, caged birds, and magical transformations."
Painting, music, and theatre have been an essential part of Laura Wessel’s life from her earliest memory. Inspired by mythic legends read to her by her father, Laura was drawn to Native American myths, the world of Oz, and the enigmatic images of Alice’s Wonderland.
Laura's painted vessels evoke the joyful and fantastic, permitting the viewer to perceive from different perspectives, the stories suggested beneath the surface of each vessel. Color, light and the power of narrative serve an internal, artistic vision that infuses her sensibility and forms the basis for her original and distinctive artworks.
A student of film, painting and literature at Evergreen College, Laura became a videographer at the Pilchuck Glass School and was responsible for creating films documenting the work of visiting artists. While at Pilchuck, she studied traditional painting on glass with Lithuanian glass master Albinas Elskus. Her involvement within a community of international artists including Stanislav Libensky, Dana Zamecnikova, and Bertil Vallien challenged her to see glass as a luminous canvas for creating images that evoke a complex narrative.
Laura received a Master’s degree in Glass from the University of Sunderland in England. Widely traveled, she established an arts exchange in Chengdu and Kunming China, where she lectured on Northwest art in schools and community lecture halls. In addition, she was a lecturer on Glass Painting at the Edinburgh College of Art, National Glass Centre in England, and the University of Hong Kong.
Her work has been presented in exhibitions in galleries and museums worldwide including Antigo Pacos do Concelho, Guimaraes, Portugal, The Glass Gallery in London, UK, The Biscuit Factory Glass Gallery in Newcastle, UK and Habitus Gallery in Hong Kong.
In 2014, Laura participated at the opening of the Marinha Grande Museum in Lisbon as part of the museum’s premier exhibition International Glass. Her work is held in the Museum’s permanent collection as well as in private collections.
Circle of Wonder, 2012, Vitreous paints on hand blown glass vessel, Photo: Laura Wessel
Circle of Wonder, 2012, Vitreous paints on hand blown glass vessel, Photo: Laura Wessel
The Blue Tiger, 2015, Vitreous paints on hand blown glass vessel, Photo: Laura Wessel
The Blue Tiger, 2015, Vitreous paints on hand blown glass vessel, Photo: Laura Wessel
Dance of the Sparrows, 2013, Vitreous paints on hand blown glass vessel, Photo: Laura Wessel
Ancient Lanterns, 2013, Vitreous paints on hand blown glass vessel, Photo: Laura Wessel
Ancient Lanterns, 2013, Vitreous paints on hand blown glass vessel, Photo: Laura Wessel
Ancient Lanterns, 2013, Vitreous paints on hand blown glass vessel, Photo: Laura Wessel
The Red Bear, 2016, Vitreous paints on hand blown glass vessel, Photo: Laura Wessel
