Claire Anderson
Vancouver, British Columbia
Claire Anderson, The Inevitable Reconstruction, 2023. Blown glass and welded steel on poured concrete base, 370 x 110 x 110 cm. COURTESY OF THE ARTIST.
Studio: How would you describe your approach to your medium? What made you choose it?
Claire Anderson: My approach to glass has changed over the years. What originally made me choose it was the impulsive behaviour of an 18 year old stumbling across the glassblowing studio in an arts college. I was attending Sheridan College with the hopes of getting into the illustration program, but the loud music, fire and general vibe of the glass studio derailed all of my plans.
I knew I wanted to be an artist and ideas have always been important to me, but there was also a clear barrier of skill involved with glass so I spent my first seven or eight years primarily making production work with some sculptures on the side.
When I was 29, I decided to go fully into my sculptural practice. I had lived some life and was ready to really share my thoughts and vulnerabilities and felt my skills had reached a level that I could portray these ideas with some level of nuance and complexity. As I age and dive further and further down this rabbit hole, glass continues to captivate me and be my main conceptual driver, however, I also have a need to continue exploring. I love to tell stories through material and have brought metal working, concrete, found objects, gold, moving water, bones, my own blood and now sound into my practice. I’m fascinated with how different elements speak to each other and the emotions they evoke. It is also such an interesting process of continual learning. Each piece I make, I try to challenge myself in some way - whether it’s learning a new glassblowing skill, taking on a new material, trying to figure out movement or sound, diving into a new concept, etc. Sometimes it’s extremely frustrating, but most of the time it forces me to learn, which hopefully will continue to make me a better and better artist.
Claire Anderson, Impressions (installation in progress), 2025. Blown and hot sculpted glass, 305 x 305 x 105 cm. Photo: Eder Poli Filho.
S: How would you describe yourself, personally and professionally?
CA: I would describe myself as kind of a goofball. An obsessive goofball with zero chill that deep down takes herself extremely seriously but deflects with silliness. I’m a mix of extremely disciplined with a dash of chaotic and impulsive.
Claire Anderson, Pins and Needles, 2024. Flameworked glass, steel frame and stainless steel chain, 370 x 35 x 30 cm. COURTESY OF LONSDALE GALLERY.
S: What inspires you?
CA: I’m inspired by humans in so many ways. In my artwork, I have been exploring themes of growth through trauma, late stage capitalism and patriarchy and how these things are inherently connected. But I’m fascinated with the way we structure power, in a societal way and in interpersonal ways. How humans tend to create hierarchies and the complex effects that they have on our mental health and general well being.
I’m also inspired by humans because we need each other and I’m a big advocate for building community. I love bringing people together and really get energized by the journeys of other creatives. A big part of my practice, in a more roundabout way, is connecting with people. I love learning the context of peoples’ lives; why they do what they do and what emotions feed and compel them. There are universal strings in these individual stories that continue to inspire me and fuel my own artwork’s narrative.
Claire Anderson, Pins and Needles (detail), 2024. Flameworked glass, steel frame and stainless steel chain, 370 x 35 x 30 cm. COURTESY OF LONSDALE GALLERY.
S: What do you see as your contribution to the field of your craft?
CA: This is a tough question! It’s hard to say, glass has been around since Mesopotamia so everything has been done before. However, what I’m passionate about is combining my love for process and skill with larger ideas and concepts. Glass is deeply rooted in craft and I have a deep respect for the skill it takes to manipulate the material into anything - let alone objects that serve a purpose. I like to acknowledge that history of skill in the sculptures and installations that I create. Everything I make, I make more than once to ensure a level of quality that I’m happy with and to keep growing my skills, but on top of that, I want to communicate ideas and evoke emotions from the viewer.
I strive to include more contemporary ideas of what art is, play with perception and push the boundaries of what the material can do and how people think about it. For instance, in my piece ‘Pins and Needles’, sound is just as important as aesthetic. There is a really beautiful sound created when the glass needles all gently clang together which evokes complicated emotions from the viewer. There is an unease that the glass may break but also a sort of awe from the beauty of the noise and the little pieces of flame worked glass glittering in the light. I’m definitely not the only person to be doing this, but what I contribute to my field of craft is a merging of traditional making with the thoughtfulness of contemporary art.
Claire Anderson, Not a Fountain, 2023. Blown glass, machined aluminum stand, bronze lid, flowing water, 140 x 35 x 35 cm. Photo: Wyatt Lowry.
S: What wisdom do you want to impart to younger makers?
CA: The wisdom I’d like to impart on younger makers is to learn how to listen to your gut and to stay true to your own voice. It took me a long time to feel confident in what I was making and if I had any value as an artist (this is still, at times, a mental battle). Our careers are not straight forward and it is very easy to lose sight or get lost if you spend too much time worrying about what other people are doing or how you are seen.
Make what you want to make because you want to make it and see your ideas through. If you aren’t happy with the first iteration of something, make it again. Learn from your mistakes and make it again. Keep making and failing and learning - this is the process to embrace and if you stay true to your voice, your work will grow.
Oh, and also have fun and value the journey. When it all comes down to it, we do this for the love.
Claire Anderson
instagram: @claire.a.glass
website: claireaglass.com/
This article was published in the Fall/Winter 2025-2026 issue of Studio Magazine.
