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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

​

Seattle Times, Young Artist Breaks Through, Sept 15

Contact Me

+64 21 052 9407

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