Angela Babby
Kiln-fired Glass Mosaic Art 

"Zitkala sa: Why I am a pagan"
Kiln-fired Vitreous Enamel on Glass Mosaic on Tile Board, 7/2021, *Best of Show Award,
*2-dimensional Special Award at Native Pop Art Show, Rapid City, So. Dak. 2021




​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: 




Jackson Indigenous Art Market, St. John's Episcopal Church, Jackson Hole, Wy
@10:00-5:00 Sat & Sun 10:00-5:00
​
Heard Indian Market, Heard Museum, Phoenix, Arizona, March 7th and 8th  2026

​Estes Park Indian Market, Estes Park, Colorado, January 16-18 2026

Thru January 2029 Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Re-Imagined in Glass, First Native American Group Exhibition of Artists Working in Glass, please see International Arts & Artists.org website under tour schedule for museum location. Will be at the National Museum of the American Indian, NYC, NY opening November 15-May29, 2026