Clare Belfrage

Glass sculptor

A calling to challenge perceptions

Clare specialises in cane drawing with glass
She is inspired by the detail of patterns found in nature
Her work can be found in major collections throughout the world

Clare Belfrage was introduced to glass while studying for a ceramic design degree. “I was absolutely fascinated and absorbed with the process,” she recalls. Clare decided to specialise in glass after connecting with a community of makers in Melbourne, whose conferences and events demonstrated what a career in craft could be like. Glass masters Nick Wirdnam and Nick Mount helped develop her skills. She honed the technique of cane drawing, which enabled her to create sinewy patterns that melded into the glass vessel. Clare moved to Adelaide to train at the JamFactory Glass Studio where she continues to blow glass today, alongside working from her home studio. Her work is inspired by the intricate structures in nature such as moss and lichen. The very first glass object she made was a paperweight.

Interview

How would you define what you do?: I am an artist. I transfer ideas, through my body and through my hands into the material of glass to express something of what it is to be human in both the act of making and of creative expression.
What are your sources of inspiration?: For many years now I have looked to the natural world for inspiration. It is the details, the rhythms and the patterns, that I am drawn to. I describe it as “the big feeling that ‘small’ gives me.” I hope to convey that feeling in my work by drawing attention to the industry and wonder of nature.
What is a memorable moment in your professional life?: Being told by a gallery staff person that a member of the public walked into my exhibition, A Measure of Time, in 2018, and was so moved that she started crying. Hearing that my work had touched someone so deeply was an amazing moment for me.
What is one thing about your work that people usually do not know?: Some people do not realise that my work is actually glass. I often use opaque glass and remove the shiny reflective surface by sandblasting and pumice polishing. They are used to transparency and sheen as the defining attributes of glass. People often do not know that the line and pattern on my works is made from glass. They think it is another material that I have added.

Clare Belfrage is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1990