Gaby Berger_glassblower
Blowing in the hotshop of M Vlamynck
Gaby Berger_glassblower
Blowing at Bildwerk Frauenau in Germany

About Gaby


After some years of experimentation with sculptures in ceramics, Gaby Berger wanted to explore a more challenging material and she enrolled in the glass department of the IKA (the Instituut voor Kunst en Ambacht in Mechelen).
The combination of glass and ceramics was an attractive possibility to create unique pieces. Each work is the result of an exploration into grace, design and authenticity.

During her education at the IKA, she focused on the “craft of glass” and glass blowing became a passion. The main theme during her training was the handbag. One of her first pieces was a handbag made of window-glass and copper plating. Later she used other techniques like slumping, fusing, sandblasting, form melting, sand casting, pâte-de-verre and glass blowing to execute her work. Handbags have a rich history and are influenced by trends in art, design, fashion and sociocultural developments. Although they have a practical side, they enable an unlimited phantasy and are a source of dreams and secrets. She exhibited an installation with some closets full of old handbags and a series of handbags and purses in glass: “A handbag for every occasion”

A few years later followed a large scaled installation “Searching Snow White's Apple”. It was a large black table with plenty of white sandblasted glass objects that represent Contaminated food. The installation symbolizes the influence of man on the life as well as its powerlessness and mortality. This work was nominated for the Stanislav Libensky Award 2018.



Art education

  • 2024: Kiln-formed glass by Helen Slater
    Bild-Werk Frauenau - Germany

  • 2022: Interdisciplinary Special - Hot Glass, Clay and Glass Casting
    Bild-Werk Frauenau - Germany
    with Carolin Andrin, Andrea Viebach & Torsten Rötzsch

  • 2015-2018: Specialisation Glass art
    Instituut voor Kunst en Ambacht (IKA) - Mechelen (B)

  • 2009-2015: course ‘Glass art’
    Instituut voor Kunst en Ambacht (IKA) - Mechelen (B)

  • 2017: Workshop Soufflage de verre
    Glassfarm - Lier (B) with Patrick Van Tilburg

  • 2016: Workshop Core Casting - Max Jacquard - Stipglas Tilburg (Nl)

  • 2015: Master class with Philippa Beveridge (UK/ES) at l'atelier du Musée du Verre in Sars-Poteries (Fr)

  • 2014: Workshop Glass blowing with Zdenic Kunc at the hotshop of Marcel Vlamynck in Brugge (B)

  • 2012: Workshop Glass blowing with Giampaolo Amoruso at l'atelier du Musée du Verre in Sars-Poteries (Fr)


Studies:

Master in Elektronics & Automatisation


Nominaties/fondsen

  • 2024: Stipendium van de Stichting Modern Glas

    • Stichting Modern Glas, opgericht door glaskunstliefhebbers Sam Jonker en Valentine Zaremba, heeft het doel een zo breed mogelijk publiek enthousiast te maken over moderne glaskunst. Ze beheren een uitgebreide collectie die met veel zorg de afgelopen 45 jaar bij elkaar verzameld is.

    Dit stipendium zal gebruikt worden voor de deelname aan de workshop 'Kiln Formed Glass' door Helen Slater bij Bildwerk Frauenau in Duitsland

  • 2022: Stipendium van The Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung

    • The board of The Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung has granded me a scholarship for participation in a workshop at the International Summer Academy Bild-Werk Frauenau.
    The Alexander Tutsek-Stiftung promotes art and science. It was established in 2000 by the entrepreneur Alexander Tutsek and his wife Dr. Eva-Maria Fahrner-Tutsek as a non-profit foundation. ​ With the scholarships the foundation aims to support emerging artists who work with the medium glass, and to make it easier for them to start their careers.

  • 2018: The Stanislav Libensky Award

    • The Stanislav Libenský Award is an international competitive glassmaking exhibition that every autumn in Prague presents the best work of graduates of art colleges from around the world who used glass in their degree projects.



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