Meet Layne Rowe
Layne Rowe is an extremely skilled glass artist who has worked with Peter Layton for over twenty years. His journey began in 1994 during his degree course in 3D design at the University of Central Lancashire. He initially toyed with the idea of working in metal, but as soon as he tried glass he loved it, claiming, “It’s the whole process: the heat, the character and complexity of it”. On graduating he worked at London Glassblowing for a number of years before moving to Brazil where he set up a glass studio before rejoining Peter Layton’s studio.
Layne’s work has been widely exhibited around the world, notably in the V&A’s Power of Making exhibition and annually at Collect since 2013. In 2014 he showed alongside Grayson Perry and Alexander McQueen in Subversive Design, at Brighton Museum and Art Gallery. Most recently, he has exhibited his large installation piece, ‘Solace’ at several important cathedrals, including St Albans Abbey and Ely Cathedral.
Read more about Layne's installation, in our blog post here.
About The Work
Layne was originally driven by technique and the desire to make something beautiful, ‘I was into patterns and colour applications’. Inspired by the Devon coastline, Layne’s Woven Forms have been evolving for several years. This series of work is a result of intricate layering of different pre-made coloured canes around a molten form that is twisted and, when cold, cut with a diamond wheel, to reveal vibrant colours beneath the surface. Whilst this is still a main driver for his work, he has also made pieces that convey a powerful message.
This is true for his latest sculpture, Solace; a tranquil pair of angel wings three metres high. The installation is made up of over one-hundred individually hot sculpted ‘feathers’ in clear glass with the introduction of fine white cane work. Translating across all faiths, the symbolism of angel wings evokes powerful emotions of freedom, fragility, strength and protection.
