Shen Chökyi
My medium is illuminated glass, which I use to create illustrations for both adults and children. I’m interested in exploring the mystery of life and our often unseen deep intimacy with it. I find this in poetry, wisdom traditions, myths and dreams ~ and in nature herself.
Behind the Scenes
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About My Practice
My main medium is glass, which I paint, cast and fuse to create illuminated illustrations. In all of these processes, individual pieces of sheet glass, frit, strands and powder ~ as well as plants and metals ~ fire together to become one.
I love the alchemical nature of working with different elements and through different stages to create a piece of embodied light which tells a story.
Core to my work is a curious, playful engagement with experimentation.
After many years of more conceptual work, I’m now more drawn to create illustrative pieces. Yet each figurative piece I create is rooted in an exploration of what glass can do in a more
abstract way.
Discoveries I make in this phase are then brought in to the final illustration.
Tools & Materials
My glass studio is my inner sanctum, lined with jars of different shades and grades of glass frit and glass in other forms ~ sheet, stringers and millefiori. As well as my kiln, I’ve a glass grinder as well as tools to cut glass by hand and lightboxes to work on.
Another outbuilding houses my ceramics kiln, clay, glazes and plaster. I often work in clay, then cast into plaster, finally casting a glass piece in the plaster mold.
I also have a dedicated wood workshop in a barn for creating frames and stands for my glass pieces.
Inside the house is an illustration studio which is more focussed on storyboards and sketches. Drawings and paintings created here are combined with illuminated glass to create finished pieces.
Examples of work
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Spring Fling Activity
Lightboxes and translucent materials will be laid out for any visitors who would like to create their own back-lit picture.
Visitors can choose a glass pebble to take away 🙂
Browse other studios
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Designer/maker of fine furniture and accessories – passionate and inspired by my local landscapes.
