Luke Jacomb - Glass Artist
Luke's reputation is firmly established in the United States and is represented in significant private and public collections, including the Ebeltoff Glass Museum (Denmark), Corning Museum of Glass (New York, USA) and the New Orleans Museum of Art (Louisiana, USA).
​Luke Jacomb is an outstanding glass artist whose reputation is quickly gathering momentum in New Zealand due to his innovative and superb technical glassmaking skills as well as successes stemming from his recent international touring exhibition and residencies in the United States.
Possessing a strong sculptural sense and devotion to his field and vision, Jacomb combines elements of traditional Maori and Polynesian motifs with sleek design and intricate Venetian glasswork techniques (reticello, murrine, incalmo and retorti) in a distinctive and coherently synthesised aesthetic involving the use of cast and blown glass. To this superb working knowledge of complex techniques and creative expression Jacomb adds cameo cutting and casting as seen in the kowhaiwhai detailing of ‘Red Waka Paddle’.
Jacomb’s sophisticated colour sensibilities deliver an unexpected drama to his elegantly simple forms. He produces expressive tonal contrasts from a bold scarlet red against mirror black in ‘Taha Pair’ to the delicate mauve paired with soft steel blue in ‘Seeking the Light (Rhubarb)’. This acute sense of colour is complimented by his creative use of photosensitive glass pioneering a methodology which enables him to produce luminous images within the glass as evidenced in ‘Magnum Taha’.
Embodied within Jacomb’s work is “a grace and aesthetic beauty which is a delight, and the tension created from the simultaneous strength and fragility of the material adds an extra dimension to these fine pieces”.
After eight years in the United States where Jacomb rose to the forefront of the studio glass movement, Jacomb has now returned home to ignite and establish his presence as a significant and unique interdisciplinary New Zealand glass artist.
His reputation is already firmly established in the United States and he is represented in significant private and public collections including the Ebeltoff Glass Museum (Denmark), Corning Museum of Glass (New York, USA) and the New Orleans Museum of Art (USA). With such an incredibly high level of creative energy and dedication to his chosen field it is hardly surprising that Jacomb has sought to share his skills and wealth of knowledge with other glass artists. He has taught and worked in numerous glass centres, universities and museums in New Zealand, Australia and the United States teaching alongside renowned glass artists such as Dale Chihuly.
Museum/Public Collections
Alfred University, NT USA
Birmingham Museum of Art, AL USA
Bowling Green University, OH USA
Cleveland Institute of Technology, OH USA
Corning Museum of Glass, NY USA
Ebeltoft Glass Museum, Denmark
Maharana of Udaipur, India
Milwaukee Museum of Dec Arts (Villa Terrace), WI USA
Mobile Museum of Art, AL USA
Salisbury University, MD USA
New Orleans Museum of Art, LA USA
Works Museum, OH USA
Dowse Art Museum, New Zealand
Teaching Experience
2018
Toyama Institute of Glass: Cane Working Techniques (Japan)
2017
The Jam Factory: Advanced Venetian Techniques (Adelaide, Australia) Canberra University: Advanced Venetian Techniques (Australia)
2010
Whanganui UCOL glass program: Advanced glassblowing techniques
2008
Pratt Fine Arts Centre: Photosensitive glass and glass chemistry
Pratt Fine Arts Centre: Venetian Goblets
2006
Corning Museum of Glass summer studio sessions. Photosensitive glass techniques
Hastings Nebraska College: Demo and Lecture
Appalachian Centre for Crafts: Tennessee Tech, demo and lecture
University of Wisconsin: Demo and lecture
Cleveland Institute of Art: Photosensitive demo and lecture
Alfred University demo and lecture
Salisbury University demo and lecture
Chicago hot glass: Venetian glass demo
Hasting College: Dominating the Goblet.
2005
New Zealand, Auckland University: Being a glass artist in America – lecture
Introduction to Venetian techniques: Belmont Arts Centre
Corning Museum of Glass: Beginner glass program for college students
Urban Glass: Photosensitive intensive
Bowling Green University: Photosensitive glass demo and lecture + Venetian goblet making with Jeff Mack
Urban Glass: Photosensitive 10-week, BG1 10-week.
2004
Corning Museum of Glass, Goucher College; Photosensitive workshop, Kentucky
Alfred University: Photosensitive demo and lecture; Goucher College: Art and chemistry demo and lecture.
2003
Photosensitive workshop; Pensacola Art Centre.
2002
Beginning glass blowing: Avalon Glass Seattle.
Awards and Residencies
2018
Residency in Shanghai (China)
2015
HOME + Fisher and Paykel Design Award 2015
- Luke Jacomb and Cheshire Architects
2014
HOME + Fisher and Paykel Design Award 2014
- Luke Jacomb and Cheshire Architects
2008
Residency at The Glass Eye (Seattle)
2007
Residency at Cleveland Institute of Art (Ohio)
Residency at Salisbury College
Residency at Works Museum (OH)
Residency at Hastings College (NE)
2006
Residency at Hastings College (Nebraska); Residency at University of Wisconsin
2001
Creative New Zealand Arts Council; Overseas travel grant (Seattle)
Exhibitions
2022
Gallery 33, “Connections” (Wanaka, New Zealand)
2019
Masterworks Gallery, “The Alembics”, John Croucher and Luke Jacomb (Auckland, New Zealand)
2018
Masterworks Gallery, “25 years on” (Auckland, New Zealand)
2014
Masterworks Gallery, “Ananas” (Auckland, New Zealand)
2012
Masterworks Gallery, “Translation” (Auckland, New Zealand)
2010
Serjeant Gallery, “Looking Glass – reflecting ideas” (Whanganui, New Zealand)
2009
Canterbury Museum (New Zealand)
Ebeltoft Glass Museum, “Outbreak” (Denmark)
Morgan Gallery, “Vision realised” (Pitsburg)
Otago Museum, “Translation” (New Zealand)
2008
Milford Galleries, “Master Works” (New Zealand)
New Orleans Museum of Art, “Seeking the Light” (USA)
New Zealand Glass Invitational, various museums (New Zealand)
2007
Kuivato Gallery Sedona (Arizona)
SOFA Expo, Palette Gallery (Chicago)
Works Museum: Luke Jacomb and Katherine Rutecki (Ohio)
Morgan Gallery
GAS group show (Pitsburg)
Glass weekend at Wheaton Village: Morgan Gallery
2006
Chappell Gallery, “The Roaring 40s” (New York)
SOFA expo, Riley Gallery (Chicago)
Royal Cameo Gallery, “Renewal” (New Orleans)
2005
Robert Lehman Gallery at Urban Glass (New York)
Essenze Gallery, ICFF New York (New Zealand/New York)
2003
Glass House, “Canopy” (Seattle)
2002
NZGAS group show (New Zealand)
Bibliography
2022
Sunday magazine, artist profile, May 15
2021
Mindfood magazine, Artist profile, July 27
2020
BeautyEQ magazine, artist profile, Dec 15
2019
Polo Ralph Lauren, artist profile
2016
Fashion Quarterly, July 13
2014
New Glass Review magazine
2011
Otago Daily Times, Translation: New works in glass by Luke Jacomb, July 7
2010
New Zealand Herald, Art of Glass, May 11
2009
Otago Daily Times, Spectacular glass works come to Dunedin, Feb 12
Otago Daily Times, Heart of Glass, March 5
Seeking the Light, written by John Webster Keefe, published by NOMA
New Zealand Art News magazine, Transparent Success, Autumn (Fall)
2008
Glass Quarterly, NOMA “Seeking the Light” review
Arts Quarterly, New Orleans Museum of Art magazine
Glasposten Ebletoft Glass Museum (Denmark) Nr.4. November Pg 11
2007
Newark Advocate newspaper, Turning art to a new level, June 10
Sunday Star Times magazine, Glass Act, June 24
2005
Splash Magazine, Artist Profile; Downtown Magazine, Artist Profile
2004
Pensacola News Journal, New Zealand Artist, Jan 10-12
NZedge Magazine, Glass Master turning heads in Seattle
2003
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Seattle Times, Young Artist Breaks Through, Sept 15
Contact Me
+64 21 052 9407