About Gaby

After some years of experimenting with sculptures in ceramics, Gaby Berger wanted to explore a more challenging material and enrolled in the glass department of the IKA (Instituut voor Kunst en Ambacht in Mechelen).
The combination of glass and ceramics offered 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 glassblowing 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 such as slumping, fusing, sandblasting, form melting, sand casting, pâte-de-verre, and glassblowing 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 allow unlimited imagination and are a source of dreams and secrets.
She exhibited an installation with 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-scale installation “Searching Snow White's Apple.” It was a large black table with many white sandblasted glass objects representing contaminated food.
The installation symbolizes the influence of humankind on life, as well as its powerlessness and mortality.
This work was nominated for the Stanislav Libensky Award 2018.

Art Education

2025: Glassblowing at the National Glass School of Sweden
Riksglasskolan Nybro - Sweden
2024: Kiln-formed glass by Helen Slater Stokes
Bild-Werk Frauenau - Germany
2023-2026: Digital fabrication
Academie voor Beeldende Kunsten - Brussels (B)
2022: Interdisciplinary Special - Hot Glass, Clay and Glass Casting
Bild-Werk Frauenau - Germany
with Carolin Andrin, Andrea Viebach & Torsten Rötzsch
2015-2018: Specialisation in 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: Masterclass with Philippa Beveridge (UK/ES) at l'Atelier du Musée du Verre in Sars-Poteries (FR)
2014: Workshop Glassblowing with Zdenic Kunc at the hotshop of Marcel Vlamynck in Brugge (B)
2013: Workshop 'Forging with Iron and Fire' at La Fonderie in Molenbeek (B)
2012: Workshop Glassblowing with Giampaolo Amoruso at l'Atelier du Musée du Verre in Sars-Poteries (FR)

Studies:

Master in Electronics & Automation

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 Stokes bij Bild-werk 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.

Persberichten

2018: Artikel in "Glas", het kwartaalblad van de vereniging van Vrienden van modern glas
2015: Artikel in "Glass is more" door Dirk Schrijvers
2015: Artikel in Fjoezzz 2015 nr 3 door Dirk Schrijvers

Exposities

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