Swede Hickok

Using blown glass as my median I aim to bridge my craft with conversations around life and humanity. This makes it possible for me to move away from traditional vessels and forms to explore a different beauty that lingers in the unknown.

Having come from a heavy craft background, I highly value the technical skills of the trade but have also found a love for diving deeper with the material to explore the conceptual. I strive for my own personal balance between concept and craft. This allows me to push the boundaries of what is possible with glass while also incorporating other materials such as wood and metal. I am particularly interested in texture, movement, and the way that my objects interact with the space they occupy; embodying the idea of growth, I want my work to grow, twist and spread across the room.

In my most recent works, I have been using my art as a platform to talk about fungi and their potential abilities to clean the environment. It is something that I am passionate about and so I have been using glass instillations to create contemporary forms that mirror the subject of which I am speaking about while also informing and teaching the viewers.

The work I create is greatly inspired by nature, space, and states of consciousness. How we view ourselves and our place in this world deeply fascinates me and is therefore reflected continuously throughout my work.