Mark Burslem

I have been cutting glass for over 35 years - my passion started with a weekend course I took in Adelaide in the mid-1980s. I made a lot of windows for friends and family and finally took a course in glasswork at TAFE.

In Adelaide, the mid-80s to early-90s was a period where everyone wanted to have leadlight windows to match their Federation or Art Deco houses. It was also a time when Australiana themes such as rosellas, cockatoos, gumtrees and marsupials were in vogue.

Adelaide’s fascination with leadlight windows funded my studies in Environmental Science but also allowed me to develop my understanding of glass and light.

To date, the core of my work in glass has been leadlight windows, which I will continue, but as of now I’m wanting to explore the idea of glass garden sculptures. The idea of mixing glass and wood, or glass and steel, appeals as a way to highlight the versatility of glass and light to a modern audience.