The Independent - Peter Layton on his family's escape from the Nazis
Peter Layton reflects on his family's escape from Nazi persecution
Ahead of his appearance on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, Peter Layton spoke to The Independent about his parents Edith and Freddy's escape from Austria as Jewish refugees, fleeing on one of the last trains out before war broke out just days later. Peter described their survival as a total miracle, and credited the life and career that followed entirely to their courage in getting away. The family later anglicised their name from Lowy to Layton, settling in Bradford, where Peter would go on to become one of the founding figures of the British studio glass movement.
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Women in Glass
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.