Celebrating 50 Years of London Glassblowing

12 June - 5 July


Peter Layton in the Rotherhithe Studio

Peter's endeavour began in a world that offered no market for studio glass, sustaining himself through part-time teaching and selling pieces from the boot of his car. Fifty years later, London Glassblowing represents this magnificent achievement and Peter's profound legacy.

To celebrate this momentous milestone, Peter invited over forty artists to create new work for this landmark exhibition - a gathering that tells the story of London Glassblowing's extraordinary journey. The show brought together resident artists, cherished guest artists who have been part of the London Glassblowing family, and real blasts from the past: artists who worked alongside Peter in his previous studios at the Leathermarket and in Rotherhithe, including Gayle Matthias, Marie Worre Hastrup Holm, and Siddy Langley.

Vista by Louis Thompson (photographer Alick Cotterill)

The exhibition also honoured the memory of pioneering figures who worked in the studio and are sadly no longer with us. These artists remain vital to the glass world, with archived pieces from Sam Herman, Karen Lawrence and Jochen Ott shown. Their contributions helped shape the studio glass movement in Britain.

This was more than an anniversary exhibition. It represented five decades of artistic voices, a testament to the remarkable diversity that has always been London Glassblowing's hallmark, and a celebration of how studio glass evolved from an uncertain beginning to a collectable art form embraced worldwide.

Landscape Within by Anna Chrysopoulo (photographer Stefan Stefanou)

Exhibiting artists

Peter Layton & Tim Rawlinson

Current Resident artists at London Glassblowing: Anthony Scala, Bruce Marks, Daisy Parkinson, Harriet Thorne, Liam Reeves, Louis Thompson, Sarah Manly, Sarah Wiberley, Sila Yücel

Past Resident Artists: Cathryn Shilling, David Flower, Elliot Walker, Gayle Matthias, Hanne Enemark, Laura McKinley, Layne Rowe, Marie Worre Hastrup Holm, Sabrina Cant, Siddy Langley, Vezzini & Chen

Esteemed Guest artists: Adam Aaronson, Alison Kinnaird, Alison Lowry, Amanda Simmons, Andrea Spencer, Anna Chrysopoulo, Bruno Romanelli, David Reekie, Gillies Jones, James Devereux, James Maskrey, Jane Reeves, Joseph Harrington, Karen Browning, Katherine Huskie, Max Jacquard, Monette Larsen, Nick Mount, Nina Casson McGarva, Rachael Woodman, Richard Jackson, Sally Fawkes,Scott Benefield, Tomáš Brzon

In tribute to: Karen Lawrence, Nancy Sutcliffe, Sam Herman

Exhibiting Artists

Anthony Scala
Anthony Scala
Bruce Marks
Bruce Marks
Bruno Romanelli
Bruno Romanelli
Cathryn Shilling
Cathryn Shilling
David Reekie
David Reekie
Elliot Walker
Elliot Walker
Harriet Thorne
Harriet Thorne
James Devereux
James Devereux
Katherine Huskie
Katherine Huskie
Liam Reeves
Liam Reeves
Louis Thompson
Louis Thompson
Monette Larsen
Monette Larsen
Nina Casson McGarva
Nina Casson McGarva
Sarah Wiberley
Sarah Wiberley
Sila Yücel
Sila Yücel
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Our Stories

The Alchemist at Work: An Interview with Peter Layton

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.

Peter and Tim at the annual Glass Art Society Conference

Peter and Tim at the annual Glass Art Society Conference

Ahead of their trip to New York for the annual Glass Art Society Conference at the Corning Museum of Glass, Peter and Tim shared an insightful talk with guests at our gallery. In this special preview of the presentation they would go on to deliver at the world-renowned museum, Peter and Tim looked back on more than fifty years of craftsmanship and community. From there, they headed to Corning, New York, for the conference itself.

Our Glass Community Reflect on Peter Layton

Our Glass Community Reflect on Peter Layton

To mark fifty years of London Glassblowing, we asked artists, collaborators and friends to share what the studio has meant to them. Their answers span five decades - from first encounters at the hotshop to lifelong friendships. What emerges is a portrait of a community built around one man's vision, and the remarkable things that vision made possible.