Demetra Theofanous

"Inspired by the storytelling tradition of woven tapestry and basketry, I weave with glass, connecting the viewer with the story of the natural world. The fluidity and fragility of glass is particularly well-suited to express the beauty and vulnerability inherent in the human experience. "

In Theofanous's work, technique merges with narrative to express metaphorical bridges between nature and human beings. Driven by the emotion of color and the human experience, she creates delicate nests, flowers, branches, and leaves that depict the cycle of life: growth, discovery, change and renewal. Her painterly process creates an essence of realism in her work.

The artist's signature is a technique she developed for weaving glass in a process called lampworking, which involves melting glass with a tabletop torch. She also employs a highly detailed casting method called pate de verre, which she learned from masters at the Studio at the Corning Museum of Glass. Utilizing a painstaking process of layering glass powders, she casts real leaves in glass.

Demetra Theofanous is primarily a self-taught lampworker, building upon foundation skills from other artists to develop her techniques and experiment at the torch. Her work is widely collected and is exhibited internationally. She has received numerous awards, including the 2014 NICHE Award for the Best in Lampworked Glass.