Jessica Loughlin
Gate 8 Workshop
Glass sculptor
Thebarton, Australia
Recommended by WCC Australia
How stillness moves across the day
- Jessica’s work aims to capture a sense of stillness
- She was inspired by her architect father to appreciate the creative medium of light
- She developed her own technique using fused glass powder that creates an opaline aura
Jessica Loughlin learned Japanese sumi-e painting as a child which helped her appreciate tone and essence, and she was apprenticed in design by her architect father. Jessica converted to glass after seeing it melt in a kiln for the first time: "I was fascinated by how the material could hold light," she says. She decided to study kiln-forming while still in high school and then completed a BA in Visual Art at the Australian National University. Jessica moved to Adelaide where she co-founded Gate 8 Workshop and, through experimentation, she developed a unique kiln-forming technique with the use of fused glass powder. Her work reflects subtle shifts of light that are experienced over time, evoking distant horizons. She was a finalist in the 2020 Loewe Craft Prize and has won many other prizes.
INTERVIEW
Space and light. I am fascinated by unreachable space, the view we look upon, but can never reach. Some of my works function as a ‘tabula rasa’ for noticing subtle changes of light throughout the day. The white opaline glass I use behaves in a similar way to light in the sky. Fine molecules in the glass reflect blue light while transmitting the warm spectrum of light.
Overall in my works, I aim to capture a sense of stillness, for my work to elicit quiet and to provide a space for reflection for the viewer. At first glance, my pieces may appear white, but on closer inspection, the colours appear and slowly change as light shifts.
Some of my pieces have polished or matte finishes thanks to techniques similar to ancient glass making. However, I have developed techniques in pieces such as ‘resonance’ that are the result of experimenting and playing with material to find a desired quality. These works use a specific fused glass powder that is applied with water, before being fused in the kiln.
I love gaining a deep understanding of a subject that moves me. Capturing this in a physical object is the aim, but it requires a balance of approach and magic, so it cannot be assured! But when it does materialise, it is so satisfying.
Lorem Ipsum, installation view, 2025, photo courtesy of Canberra Contemporary, photo credit Brenton McGeachie-3 copy.jpg)
Lorem Ipsum, 2025, photo courtesy of Canberra Contemporary, photo credit Hilary Wardhaugh-2.jpg)
Process photo, photo credit Tom Glassey-10.jpg)
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Hannah_Gason_Canberra_Glassworks_Pew_Pew_Studio_2024.jpg)
