Celebrating 50 Years of London Glassblowing: Events & Demonstrations
For 50 years, London Glassblowing has championed studio glassmaking. This anniversary exhibition brought together 50 artists - current residents, esteemed guests, and pioneering figures from founder Peter Layton's previous studios. To celebrate, we opened our doors for an enriching programme of events. Read on for what went on during the most exciting month of our 2026 calendar.
Private View
On Thursday 11 June, we celebrated the opening of our long-awaited exhibition, Celebrating 50 years of London Glassblowing. We were joined by our dedicated collectors, new members of our community, and artists from the show, including long-term friends and colleagues of Peter Layton. It was a wholesome, exciting evening filled with reflection and commemoration of what the past 50 years of London Glassblowing has achieved. We were joined by celebrity chef José Pizarro and his team, who provided a special live carving of Jamon Iberico and Spanish cheeses.
Hotshop Demonstration with Peter Layton and Tim Rawlinson
Tim Rawlinson and Peter Layton closed the exhibition with a day of demonstrations reflecting on 50 years. With one hotshop assistant short, Sophie Layton stepped in to help - assisting both her husband and her dad!
Photo by Edmund White
Guests were welcomed into the hotshop, where Tim kicked things off by making an Electric Portal. The piece begins with an embryo (a pre-made inclusion), which Tim encases in clear glass. Unlike others in the series, he plunged this one into cold water, creating a crackled 'ice glass' effect across the exterior.
In the afternoon, Peter revisited a retired series, Kimono - the perfect way to look back on his work and its development over the decades. Visitors watched as the artists blew and sculpted a Kimono Coralform, a collection made using a stencil applied to the glass. It's been so long since Peter last made one of these that it was a truly special demonstration to witness.
Photo by Edmund White
Photo by Edmund White
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Our Stories
Women in Glass - Exhibition Open Call
London Glassblowing invites applications from UK-based women working in glass to take part in Women in Glass, a group exhibition opening in September 2027 to coincide with the studio's celebration of Peter Layton's ninetieth birthday. We are pleased to welcome back Cathryn Shilling, London Glassblowing's gallery curator from 2010 to 2019, who returns as guest curator for this special exhibition.
A Bermondsey Street Collaboration
Renowned glass artist and founder of London Glassblowing, Peter Layton, has collaborated with old friend and celebrity chef, José Pizarro, to create 30 limited-edition platters, launching on 12 October, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of José Pizarro on Bermondsey Street and the 50th anniversary of London Glassblowing.
The Alchemist at Work: An Interview with Peter Layton
For Peter Layton's solo exhibition, our Marketing and Sales Assistant Eva sat down with Peter to talk about alchemy - from his birth in Prague, a city steeped in alchemical history, to the alchemy he finds in glass itself. Read on to hear how Peter revisited his earlier works for this exhibition, and why he chose to return to the dangerous iridising process.