Homo Faber

PRESS EN Languages Account Follow us Newsletter
Subscribe to our newsletter
|
Presented by logo Homo Faber by Michelangelo Foundation
Explore Artisans Museums & Galleries Experience Itineraries About
© Laura Hart
Laura Hart © Vessel Gallery
© Laura Hart
© Laura Hart

Laura Hart

  • Glass fuser
  • Sudbury, United Kingdom
  • Master Artisan
Laura Hart Glass fuser
Laura Hart © Vessel Gallery

Creating beauty by breaking the rules

  • • Laura's intricate glass sculptures may take months to make
  • • She makes unique and limited edition butterflies and orchids
  • • Her work has been exhibited at the Corning Museum of Glass in the US

As a child growing up in the British Midlands, Laura Hart’s parents would take her to watch the artisans at work in British glassmaking centre Stourbridge, so she feels it was “inevitable” that she would one day return to glass. But it took her some time. She had a brief career as an actress from the age of 16, but soon left the stage and began working in video production. She later designed sculptures for concept artists and it was for one of these artistic projects that she went to observe glass artists at work, “and that was that, I was totally hooked!” She now works out of her studio in Suffolk, making finely detailed glass recreations of several species and varieties of orchids, and anatomically meticulous sculptures of rare and endangered butterflies and moths.

Read the full interview

Works

  • © Vessel Gallery
  • © Vessel Gallery
  • © Vessel Gallery
  • © Vessel Gallery
  • © Vessel Gallery
Photo: © Vessel Gallery
Caulocattleya “Chantilly Lace”

Each petal of this fused glass orchid was hand cut and individually decorated. The orchid was created in thin lacy white glass, with intricate pink, fuchsia and marigold detailing. The Cattleya have the most varied forms of all orchids and dazzle with their extraordinary colour palettes and perfume.

Diameter 300 mm

Photo: © Vessel Gallery
Miltonia Spectibilis “Plum Duff”

This fused glass orchid was created from transparent plum glass with a lacy white labellum and detailed in lavender, violet and marigold. Each petal has been individually fired to incorporate hair-fine strands of glass, creating the impression of veins and growth rings.

Diameter 300 mm

Photo: © Vessel Gallery
Parnassius Apollo butterfly

Each wing of this fused glass Parnassius Apollo Butterfly has been dusted with glass powders before being fused into pairs. The pairs are then fitted to the abdomen section of a wax model of the butterfly body, prior to pâte de verre casting. A subtle sulphur-induced patina darkens the sterling silver legs, antennae and proboscis.

Diameter 8 cm
Width 23 cm
Height 24 cm

Photo: © Vessel Gallery
Kaiser-I-Hind “Emperor of India” butterfly

This fused glass butterfly is one of the most intricately detailed of Hart’s Lepidoptera series and 2016 Craft & Design Awards (UK) gold winner. The critically endangered Himalayan butterfly has over 20 individual patterns per wing section, which Laura has reproduced here in exquisite detail.

Diameter 11 cm
Width 22 cm
Height 21 cm

Photo: © Vessel Gallery
Vanda Hookeriana orchid

This handmade fused-glass Vanda Hookeriana orchid features dotted fuchsia and striking pink petals and a light-pink dotted and white labellum. The column of the orchid is made of pink and white glass. To capture the delicate detail of each orchid, these pieces are subjected to numerous firings to incorporate hand-cut fragments of glass.

Diameter 300 mm

Enjoy an experience with Laura Hart

You may also like

Download the app

Find all the Homo Faber Guide content at hand, save, like and much more!