Gaffers and Protégés

11 September - 4 October
Pink Tahiti by Peter Layton

A gaffer leads the making at the furnace while a protégé is an artist shaped by a mentor - the skilled hands at the furnace around whom the whole team moves. A protégé is something broader: an artist whose career has been shaped, encouraged, and enabled by a mentor who saw their potential early. For Peter Layton, these two roles are inseparable from how he works and who he is.

The works that define London Glassblowing - Burano, Paradiso, Glacier, Tahiti, and more - were brought to life through decades of collaboration with a remarkable group of British glass artists. Some came to Peter at the very start of their careers; others grew alongside him over the years that followed. Many have gone on to earn international recognition.

Peter Layton with Bruce Marks

This exhibition brings them together again. Louis Thompson and Bruce Marks, still at the heart of the studio after more than twenty years, return to work on significant Peter Layton series - Louis on wall pieces, Bruce on painterly works including Pink Tahiti and Pointillist. Elliot Walker and Layne Rowe, now working from their own studios, revisit the Peter Layton pieces they helped realise, among them Burano-inspired forms. Tim Rawlinson and Anthony Scala, both given their first professional opportunity by Peter, present works drawing on their skills in coldworking. James Devereux and Liam Reeves, the most recent collaborators, reflect the continually evolving nature of Peter's sculptural practice.

Peter has also personally selected favourite works from each artist's career to be revisited for this show - pieces that mark the full arc of fifty years of making glass together.

Exhibiting Artists: Peter Layton, Tim Rawlinson, Anthony Scala, Bruce Marks, Elliot Walker, James Devereux, Layne Rowe,  Liam Reeves, Louis Thompson

Exhibiting Artists

Bruce Marks
Bruce Marks
Louis Thompson
Louis Thompson
Elliot Walker
Elliot Walker
Layne Rowe
Layne Rowe
Liam Reeves
Liam Reeves
James Devereux
James Devereux
Anthony Scala
Anthony Scala
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Our Stories

Fifty Years of Fire: Celebrating Peter Layton and London Glassblowing

Fifty Years of Fire: Celebrating Peter Layton and London Glassblowing

For half a century, London Glassblowing has transformed contemporary glass art - pioneering new techniques, supporting generations of artists, and establishing a studio at the forefront of innovation. This milestone year offers a moment to reflect, to reminisce, and to celebrate the extraordinary impact that has helped shape the world of glass.

Silent Auction Stories: Staff Favourites

Silent Auction Stories: Staff Favourites

Our 2026 Silent Auction celebrated fifty years of glassmaking with works from Peter Layton's personal 'Highlight' collection alongside archival pieces from our resident and guest artists. The gallery team shared their favourites and the stories behind them, from a never-before-seen Fabrica platter to the smallest Portal Tim Rawlinson has ever made.

Peter Layton Receives the First-Ever Lifetime Achievement Award at Collect 2026

Peter Layton Receives the First-Ever Lifetime Achievement Award at Collect 2026

We are incredibly proud to announce that Peter Layton has been awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at Collect, and he is the very first person to receive it. Read Peter's acceptance words, reminiscing on his extraordinary career and contribution to the world of glass.