Angela Babby
Kiln-fired Glass Mosaic Art
Kiln-fired Glass Mosaic Art
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My Lakota ancestry and the mysterious nature of glass inspire my fascination with making art. Glass contains light. When I depict a person from the past in glass it has a three dimensional depth that I could never achieve with paint.
My artworks are glass mosaic tiles. Most of my images are based on black and white figurative photographs of my ancestors. Color is central for emotional power but the true value of an artwork lies in its ability to communicate directly with the viewer.
The saturated colors, transparent and light capturing qualities, iridescence, textures and patterns of glass captivate me. My artwork requires a myriad of steps to coax the contrasting areas to coalesce. Each artwork that I create cycles through three different mediums: stained glass, vitreous enameling and tile work. All of the pieces of glass must be hand cut and ground, some or all of the pieces are painted with glass enamel (powdered glass and a medium) and fired slowly in a kiln to over 1000 degrees (often multiple times) creating a glass on glass piece, all are then set in place by hand. Only after the very last step - the application of custom-tinted mortar - the whole becomes visible for the first time.
Ongoing/Upcoming Shows:
Thru September 7th 2020, "Takuwe (WHY?)" Exhibition: a Lakota group show about the Wounded Knee Massacre, Part of a series of Educational Art Exhibitions created by Lakota Artists and conceived by CAIRNS (www.nativecairns.org) Brinton Museum, Big Horn, WY.
June 6-August 9, 2020, The Red Cloud Indian Art Show, The Heritage Center at the Red Cloud Indian School,
Pine Ridge, South Dakota. See the show and shop the store on line (redcloudart.show)
May 2021, "The Gift" Exhibition: a Lakota group show about White Buffalo Calf Woman. Part of a series of Educational Art Exhibitions created by Lakota Artists and conceived by CAIRNS (www.nativecairns.org) Opening at Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center, Chamberlain, South Dakota.
May 2021-2022, Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Re-Imagined in Glass, Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, (www.indianartsandculture.org) Santa Fe, New Mexico.
My Lakota ancestry and the mysterious nature of glass inspire my fascination with making art. Glass contains light. When I depict a person from the past in glass it has a three dimensional depth that I could never achieve with paint.
My artworks are glass mosaic tiles. Most of my images are based on black and white figurative photographs of my ancestors. Color is central for emotional power but the true value of an artwork lies in its ability to communicate directly with the viewer.
The saturated colors, transparent and light capturing qualities, iridescence, textures and patterns of glass captivate me. My artwork requires a myriad of steps to coax the contrasting areas to coalesce. Each artwork that I create cycles through three different mediums: stained glass, vitreous enameling and tile work. All of the pieces of glass must be hand cut and ground, some or all of the pieces are painted with glass enamel (powdered glass and a medium) and fired slowly in a kiln to over 1000 degrees (often multiple times) creating a glass on glass piece, all are then set in place by hand. Only after the very last step - the application of custom-tinted mortar - the whole becomes visible for the first time.
Ongoing/Upcoming Shows:
Thru September 7th 2020, "Takuwe (WHY?)" Exhibition: a Lakota group show about the Wounded Knee Massacre, Part of a series of Educational Art Exhibitions created by Lakota Artists and conceived by CAIRNS (www.nativecairns.org) Brinton Museum, Big Horn, WY.
June 6-August 9, 2020, The Red Cloud Indian Art Show, The Heritage Center at the Red Cloud Indian School,
Pine Ridge, South Dakota. See the show and shop the store on line (redcloudart.show)
May 2021, "The Gift" Exhibition: a Lakota group show about White Buffalo Calf Woman. Part of a series of Educational Art Exhibitions created by Lakota Artists and conceived by CAIRNS (www.nativecairns.org) Opening at Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center, Chamberlain, South Dakota.
May 2021-2022, Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Re-Imagined in Glass, Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, (www.indianartsandculture.org) Santa Fe, New Mexico.