Featured Artist: Lauren Rice

A glass artist and designer from Manitoba, now based in the GTA, Lauren Nicole Rice studied glassblowing at Sheridan College and achieved an Honours Bachelor of Craft and Design in 2021. She was a resident artist at Harbourfront Centre where she participated in exhibitions, teaching, developed new bodies of work and honed her craft.

Installed in the Feature Window from September 6 - October 12, visit the Queen Street Shop to see the installed feature, or shop online here!

Her newest body of work explores combining her love for glass and leather. Her work explores themes of queer joy and connection through the medium of blown glass sculptures adorned with leather harnesses. Through the art of glass blowing, each sculpture mirrors the diverse and vibrant experiences within the queer community. The harnesses symbolize strength and freedom to express one's true self. This work invites viewers to celebrate the joyous moments of connection and belonging that emerge when we embrace our authentic identities and come together as a community.

"I first fell in love with glass as a material when I was 15, I travelled to Italy and saw Venetian glassblowers. It was so mesmerizing and in the back of my mind I always wanted to try it. I knew I was an artist at heart and thought that glassblowing might be my way to express that. I had never tried it before starting at Sheridan College in 2016 but as soon as I did I was hooked.

"I’m a big fan of abstraction, using shape, colour and negative space to create a larger composition. I used to make work in a much more floral style but over the course of my residency at Harbourfront Centre I have developed this new body of work that I feel so connected to. The leather and glass compliment each other in such a delightful way, I love that I can bring a mixed media element to my work.

     

"I love the physicality of the process in glassblowing. Sweating over a piece and almost dancing with the hot amorphous glass, the result is that much more satisfying to me. I’m drawn to the juxtaposition of the glass and leather; Glass being hard, shiny, with bright colours and the leather is so soft, supple, and form fitting. The glass is so fragile while the leather is tough, they go so well together.

"A limiting factor of working with glass is the size that a piece can be before maxing out both the equipment and the weight of what I can lift. I have found a way around this by making separate components for my sculptures and uniting these pieces with the leather. Creating wall sculptures and suspended installations has been a way to push the scale of what I can do."

Make sure to check out the Retail Feature, located at 1106 Queen Street West, on display until October 12, 2025!