Contemporary glass to reflect cultural heritage
- Theo aims to promote Cypriot arts and culture through the medium of glass
- He particularly enjoys the collaborative process his sculptures require
- He has learned glass blowing with several masters and artists
As an art and sport enthusiast, for Theo Brooks glassblowing was the perfect combination of those two things. "Together they offer the physicality of hand skills, aligned with exploring my artistic ideas,” he explains. British Cypriot by heritage, Theo's work explores the theme of identity and in particular the link between his origins. The sculptures he creates are inspired by ancient Cypriot culture, whether through artefacts or ancient techniques he studies. While he draws on these traditions of the past, the aesthetic of his pieces are also inspired by the dynamic lines and scenery of his hometown, South London, giving his work a very contemporary feel. The making of his sculptures involves various technical processes that he specialises in, notably lathe cutting, hot glass sculpture and glassblowing.
INTERVIEW
I enrolled on a course at the University for the Creative Arts in Farnham, UK. This was the first place I worked with hot glass. During each break between semesters I would find glass workshops in London to gain more experience.
After university, I trained under glass master Simon Moore in hot glass, and with Philip Baldwin and Monica Guggisberg in lathe cutting. Since then, I have been working with glass artists in Europe and the USA continuing to learn and work on my craft.
Shaping and working with molten glass, and the people you work with to create the pieces. It is a very collaborative process where many hands are needed to produce pieces in the hot glass workshop. It is also amazing to see my sketches and ideas come to life and take shape in physical form.
This year I was one of the demonstrators at the Glass Arts Society conference in Detroit, where I was able to carry out a hot glass sculpting demonstration in front of the international glass community. I was able to sculpt an iconic ancient Cypriot figurine and share my culture with the audience, whilst working with a great team of glass makers and friends.
