Craft / Fuse Glass Prize, ANU School of Art & Design, until September 4. Reviewed by MEREDITH HINCHLIFFE

There is much to be impressed by in this exhibition, showing many of Australia’s leading artists who work in glass. In total, eighteen artists, 6 of whom are ‘emerging,’ are exhibiting.

The winner, as previously announced here, of the 2026 Fuse Glass Prize, Annette Blair from the Canberra region, is showing her winning work Remnants of Time – In idleness. The work is made up of two pieces, through which Blair continues her reflection on the life of discarded objects – those that have passed their usefulness. What remains when function is no longer important? The surfaces of her vessels take over the relevance. Using enamelled and rusted glass, the vessels on display are balanced carefully on rounded bases. They hint at former uses but are more refined than discarded paint tins, and rusted billy cans.

As might be expected, several of the emerging artists are showing more innovative works. Jordan Benson, currently living and working in Melbourne, is enamoured with the unlimited possibilities of glass. He is the only artist exhibiting stained glass, Car Crash. it tells a story not generally conveyed through art. It is a powerful work, though not one we are used to seeing.

Field Notes from a Wandering Line, by Bradley East, is made up of four fairly traditional vessel forms, whose surfaces have been carefully engraved. The repetitive patterns of lines, moving around each vessel, set up a dialogue between them. The glass is dark and the close lines barely penetrate the colour, but create a gentle rhythm.

New Zealand artist, Christine Cathie uses the lost wax process in cast-glass to create Folded. The thick walled green glass vessel twists and folds – it is sensuous and evokes the fragility of the petals of flowers, which is belied by the thickness of the glass.

Jessica Loughlin has always been fascinated by the beauty of emptiness, and how she can capture that. bird in space is ethereal and made with light. It is made from opaline glass which mimics the atmosphere, separating light into cool and warm colours. The glass only allows the warm spectrum of light to filter through. In this work, formed of two wings of glass fixed on a narrow edge to the wall, the warm spectrum of light passes through, and creates a warm, golden shadow on the wall. The glass almost disappears, leaving a narrow edge. It is sublime, breathtaking in the simplicity of form.

This exhibition allows viewers to see the work of some of the outstanding glass artists working in Australia at the moment.

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