To hold still. To contain. To hold dear. These are the ideas explored by glass artists Jess Dare and Amanda Dziedzic,  in their joint exhibition of hand-blown glass forms, entitled Hold. 

Through the new body of work, Jess and Amanda explore the historical connection between glass and nature. Referencing propagation in glass houses, microscopic studies under slides, and botanical specimens contained within glass, the artists explore the human desire to hold on and preserve artefacts and memories behind glass.

With 10 years experience as glass blower, these days Amanda focuses most of her time and energy into designing and producing hand-blown glass homewares and lighting for places like Jardan and Gorman! Her glass pieces take on the soft, organic shape of plump mushroom forms, exploring the connective tissue between all living things.

Jess has been practising flameworking for over a decade, and has works in major collections belonging to The National Gallery of Australia, The Art Gallery of South Australia, and the National Glass Collection. Her delicate forms explore nature as a metaphor of the fragility and transience of memory.

The ‘Museum of Economic Botany is itself is one of Adelaide’s hidden gems, and we are very honored to be given the opportunity to exhibit there’ says Amanda. ‘With assistance from the Australia Council, we both have created entirely new bodies of work, and together we have worked on a very special collaborative piece’.

Hold
Jess Dare and Amanda Dziedzic
August 5th – December 9th
Opening Sunday, August 5th, 4pm-5.30pm

Museum of Economic Botany
Adelaide Botanic Garden
North Terrace, Adelaide