Profile

Square Mile Magazine Awards	Commission	2011
Glass domes cold work	Liquid Glass Centre for Mandarin Oriental Hotel London, Hude Park	2010
British Glass Biennale	Winner of the Craft & Design Award	2010
Arts USA	Commission	2010
Cambridge	Private Commission	2009
Stroud	Private Commission	2009
Adenriver Ltd	Commission
Dartington Crystal	Commission
Jenny Baker	Commission
British Glass	Scholarship	2000
Contemporary Glass Society	Scholarship	2000

Education

Martin Rosal	Course	2015
Staffordshire University	BA Hons Design: Glass	1998-2001
Newcastle College	Ceramics, Silversmith	1993-1994
Leek College of Art	Foundation	1991-1993
Burslem College of Arts	Fashion & Design	1990-1991

Professional Experience

Set up The Glass Foundry	Stroud	2019
Glass Glamour, Curator	Quenington, Gloucestershire	2015, 2017, 2019
Freelance Consultancy	London and China	2014-2015
Kiln Casting Workshop	Glass Hub, Frome	2013
Teaching	Liquid Glass Centre, Frome	2007- 2011
Visiting Lecturer	Royal College of Art	2011
Visiting Lecturer	Plymouth College of Art & Design	2011
Mentorship	CGS	2010
Teacher Assistant to David Reekie’s Workshop	Northlands Glass, Scotland	2010
Kiln Casting Workshop	Cork Ireland	2010
Lost Wax Casting 3 Day Workshop	Swansea Met University	2009
One Day Talk	Swansea Met University	2009
Kiln Casting Workshop	Stroud, Gloucestershire	2009
Slide Lecture	Cheltenham Museum & Art Gallery	2009
Workshop Leader	International Festival of Glass, Stourbridge	2008
CGS Photographic Workshop	Simon Bruntnell, Stourbridge	2007
Assistant to	Silvia Levenson, Erna-P Sowersby, Artists	2005
Set Up Own Studio	Gloucestershire	2005
Visiting Lecturer	Staffordshire University	2003
Assistant to	Glass Artist Colin Reid	2001-2004
Committee Member	Contemporary Glass Society	2003-2008
Organised a One Day Symposium at the V&A	Along with a Member	2002
WorkShop	Christ Church Primary School	2002
Student Group Demo	Urban Glass, Brooklyn, NY	2000
Group Assistant to	Karen La Monte, Glass Artist	2000

Craft and Arts International, issue 91, 2015

Fresh Air Catalogue 2015

Glass Glamour Catalogue 2015

The Coburg Prize for Contemporary Glass, page 140, 2014

UK Glass by GlazenHuis page 13, 2014

British Glass Biennale Selected Show, Page 39, 2012

Neues Glas Magazine, Page 56, Winter Issue 2010 2011

Craft & Design Magazine, Issue 213, pages 10-12 feature article, 2011

Kiln Forming Glass 2010 by Helga Watkins Baker, Page’s :25-116-117-127198-215 2010

British Glass Biennale Catalogue 2010

Cotswold Life magazine 2010

SOFA New York Catalogue Represented by CAA 2010

Objects of Desire booklet by Simon Bruntnell 2010

New Glass NZSAG Newzealand Society of Artist in Glass inc, Newsletter 2009

Dan Klein review ‘On the Edge’ Crafts Council UK 2009

Fresh Air Catalogue 2009

Bonhams Art Catalogue 2009

Contemporary Glass Society Newsletter Article 2009

Duncan Macgregor Gloucestershire review August 2008

British Glass Biennale Catalogue 2008

On The Edge Catalogue 2008

Crafts Magazine, Issue 213, 2008

Arts Council England West Mids Issue: 29 2008

Tempest Bead Show Catalogue 2008

Side by Side Catalogue 2007

Fresh Air Catalogue 2006

British Glass Biennale Catalogue 2004

Solo Exhibitions

Scottish Gallery	Edinburgh	2011
Contemporary Applied Arts FOCUS Show	London	2011

Exhibitions

Adrian Sassoon	London	2016
Etienne Gallery	Netherlands, selected show	2016
Scottish Gallery & CGS	Edinburgh, selected show	2016
Pyramid Gallery	York, selected show	2016
Contemporary Applied Arts	London	2016
Scottish Gallery show Inspired by Wilhelmina-Barns Graham	Edinburgh	2015
Adrian Sassoon, COLLECT	London	2015
British Glass Biennale (selected)		2015
Fresh Air, invited artist	Quenington, Gloucestershire	2015
Glass Glamour	Quennington, Gloucestershire	2015
Glasshaus X	Parndon Mill, selected group show.	2015
COLLECT Saattchi Gallery	London	2014
Gather	London Glass Gallery	2014
Coburg International Glass Prize (selected)	Germany	2014
GlazenHuis Museum, UK Glass (23 selected artists)	Lommel, Belgium	2014
Modern Masters (selected)	Munich, Germany	2014
CAA Group Show	London	2014
Pyramid Gallery	Cheshire	2014
Adrian Sassoon 'Master Piece'	London	2013
Scottish Gallery	Edinburgh	2013
CAA Winter Show	London	2013
The Gallery 'FORM'	London Glass Blowing	2013
Pyramid Gallery Winter Show	Cheshire	2013
CAA Auction	London	2013
British Glass Biennale Selected show	Stourbridge	2012
Parndon Mill	Harlow	2012
Pyramid Gallery	Cheshire	2012
Scottish Gallery	Edinburgh	2012
'Thinking Out The Box', Scottish Gallery	Edinburgh	2011
The Gallery	Parndon Mill, Harlow, Essex	2011
Fresh Air	Quennington Sculpture Park	2011
COLLECT	Saatchi Gallery London represented by The Scottish Gallery	2011
Plumbline Gallery	Cornwall	2011
Adrian Sassoon	London Pavilion Art & Design	2010
Salisbury Arts Centre Selected Show	Making	2010
London Glass Blowing Studio Selected Show	Essence	2010
Parndon Mill	Harlow	2010
Pyramid Gallery	Cheshire	2010
British Glass Biennale (selected)	Stourbridge	2010
Adrian Sassoon	London Masterpiece	2010
Contemporary Applied Arts	London SOFA New York	2010
On the Edge Travelling Show	Dublin Ireland Craft Council, Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford, Cork	2010
'Tempest' Travelling Bead Show.	Glasmuseum Immenhausen. Immeenhausen (Hess), Germany	2009
Bonham Art Auction	Selected By Dan Klein, London	2009
'Tempest' also showed at the Contemporary Glass Society Conference	Yorkshire Sculpture Park	2009
Cooper Gallery	Yorkshire	2009
International bead show 'Tempest'	Travelling Show, Zurich	2009
On The Edge, Selected	Swansea Waterfront Museum	2009
On The Edge, Selected	Cheltenham Museum, Travelling Show	2009
St Joseph Galerie, Selected Show	The Netherlands	2009
Scottish Gallery	Edinburgh	2008-2009
Fresh Air	Quennington Sculpture Park, Cirencester	2009
Melting Point, Selected	CGS & Pyramid Gallery York	2009
International Ceramics Fair	Represented By Adrian Sassoon	2008
Black Swan Arts Show	Somerset	2008
In and Out	Quennington Sculpture Garden & Brewery Arts	2008
British Glass Biennale (Selected Exhibition)	Stourbridge	2008
Cowdy Gallery	Gloucestershire, Newent	2004-2009
Plumbline Gallery	Cornwall	2004-2008
Pyramid Gallery	York	2004-2009
International Bead Show	Stourbridge	2008
The Art of Glass	Plumbline Gallery & St Ives Artists Society Cornwall	2008
London Art Fair & Ceramics Fair	Represented By Adrian Sassoon	2008
Side By Side (Selected)	Devon Guilds Of Craftsmen & CGS	2007
Chase Charity	Royal College of Art London	2007
Contemporary Glass Works	Prema, Uley	2007
Fresh Air	Quennington Sculpture Park	2007
Studio Glass Gallery	London	2003-2007
Somerset Arts	Frome	2006
The International Festival of Glass	Stourbridge	2004
Glass Inspiration	Switzerland	2004
New Glass West	Frome, Somerset	2004
Degree Show	Staffordshire University	2001
Business Design Centre	London	2001
Triangle Gallery	New York	2000

Trained in design, Fiaz Elson only made the transition to working with glass in 1998 when she did the highly regarded glass course at Staffordshire University. Since graduating in 2001 she has established herself as one of the most original glass artists. Gallery owners have been quick to appreciate her work and she has an impressive list of exhibitions to her name in New York, Switzerland and in Britain.

In 2004 she was one of the selected artists in the prestigious British Glass Biennale Exhibition in Stourbridge. From her work called ‘Passion’, a 30cm long sculpture shaped as a flat tear-shape with vibrant blood red and black the predominant colours, it was easy to see why her work has been variously described as “seductive, monumental and mysterious”. The monumental quality is apparent on whatever scale she decides to work.

Most recently she has ventured into garden commissions with one exceptional piece called ‘Parallel Verve’ to be shown at the ‘In and Out’ Art Glass Exhibition as part of the Fresh Air Art event in Cirencester in the autumn of 2008.

The sculpture consisting of two monoliths is simultaneously transparent and solid depending on the angle of sight and the movement of the spectator around the garden. But equally she can achieve the same dramatic effects in a tiny 10 cm. bead shown in the ‘Tempest’ Glass Bead Exhibition as part of the International Glass Festival in Stourbridge in August 2008.

Entitled “Calm Before The Storm” the tiny jewel is kiln cast using optical glass in which she also uses fritted glass, a glass batch which has been melted and ground, to deliberately produce random bubbles and veils in the glass as it fuses together in the mould. Elson’s total command of her material especially the technically difficult casting processes and her original combination of polishing effects, allows her to express her stated intent to suggest hidden spaces, containment and emotions with an ease usually more apparent in more mature glass artists.

Already a highly respected glass sculptor the more recent evidence of her works makes her a must-have in any collection of studio glass. 

Charles R. Hajdamach

My work is expressive in its form, provoking an emotional and intellectual response. It explores our emotive worlds, experiences and memories make us who we are. We all have several sides to our personalities, consciously or unconsciously we reveal or keep them hidden. This concept is expressed through the use of curves, angles and space.

Each piece has a relationship with the interior and exterior structure, bending, distorting and refracting light, creating a dynamic energy between colour and form. The space between the pieces is very specific, not too wide as to separate them and not too close to join as one. The fissure creates a tension, pushing and pulling representing the constant contradictions of persona, negative and positive, harmony and discord, clarity and obscurity, whilst the inner space of the lenses and grooves represent our private sides, a place you are not always allowed in, an inner sanctuary.

Keeping the sculptures minimal, their powerful presence naked of pattern or texture, allows the glass itself to convey the concept.