MATTHEW STERN

ARTIST STATEMENT

Artist Information | Studio artist; education: BFA Craft and Material Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, VA ; representation: Seattle Glassblowing Studio (WA) Discovery by Design (WA)

Artist Biography | Matthew Stern was born in Virginia and spent three years of his childhood in Vienna, Austria. When he returned to Virginia, he found interest in working with ceramics. His affinity for ceramics encouraged him to apply to Virginia Commonwealth University and attend their Craft and Material Studies program. There his passion for ceramics evolved into a love for hot glass. After receiving his BFA, Matthew attended classes at the world renown Penland School of Craft and Pilchuck Glass School. He moved to Seattle in 2019 to continue working with glass full-time. Since moving to Seattle he has returned to Penland and Pilchuck as a teaching assistant. He now works part-time for Fremont Antique Glass making sheet glass while also creating his own works.

My initial passion for glass started as a quest to find rhythm and discipline for myself. As my time spent with the material grows, I have found making these works as a way to heal and focus my mind. My works capture the fluid like movement of molten glass as tribute to my love for the water. I find similarities with how the water can create patterns and movement that capture the human eye in almost a state of hypnotism and how molten glass can capture these movements.

Technical Information | Glass blown Vessels Using Cane and Blow Through Techniques. A lot of Matthew’s work involves the venetian process of pulling and cane into long lines, cutting it up and reapplying it to a bubble. He utilizes a variety of different pick up and tooling techniques to create optically enticing visuals within the works.