Meet Louis Thompson

Louis Thompson, one of the most exciting and sought-after glass artists working in Britain today, has been working in glass for over 30 years and has a diverse portfolio, from creating large-scale installations to smaller intimate groups. He gained his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1988 and has worked together with various artists around the world.

Louis has blown glass with Peter Layton at London glassblowing for over 20 years.  During this time he completed a Masters degree at the Royal College of Art and has been the recipient of two highly prestigious awards, the Jerwood Makers Prize Commission and the Best Exhibit Prize at the British Glass Biennale.

His work draws inspiration from taxonomy, scientific research and medical apparatus. He creates collections of related objects varying in colour, form and scale, often featuring sequences of freeblown glass vessels in which mysterious forms appear suspended within richly coloured mediums.

Louis began this body of work after studying Freud's dream analysis writings, with each piece representing a sequential variation on a single form or object. "It's repeated but not repetitive - taking a form and twisting it to show its diverse possibilities," he explains.

Exploring collections, archives and change over time, recent installations evoke suspended DNA patterns or alien scientific specimens. The blown and sculpted works manifest Louis' enduring fascination with collections and archives through their subtle shifts in material, colour and form.

He has exhibited widely both in the country and abroad and his work is held in public and museum collections throughout the world, including the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.