Stained Glass student ‘drawn to dangerous materials’ discusses filming for Sky Arts

12 July 2023

23-year-old Kerry Collison has always felt compelled to work with her hands.

Kerry Collison smiles in graduation robes.

“I’m definitely drawn to dangerous materials,” she says, as she tells us about studying Sculpture at Carmarthen School of Art. “Hot metals, glass – there is something poetic about respecting a material, and it allowing you to make something out of it.”

After doing casting, carving and construction for her Bachelors, Kerry continued deepening her creative practice on another course, this time at University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD).

“I chose to study MA Fine Arts: Contemporary Dialogues at Swansea College of Art,” she says. “I picked it because of how open and multidisciplinary it is. There was room for me to blend conceptual fine art and crafts-based making.

“Art and Craft are often kept so separate, which is a shame considering their huge crossover, but here at UWTSD they are treated as equals.”

“When I started the course, I only aimed to make a small stained glass panel and develop my fine art practice a bit more. I just wanted to gain a few niche skills that, honestly, I wasn’t even sure I’d use in future.”

“I had no idea that from doing the course, alongside all the new knowledge, I would develop a love and understanding of glass as a material that would shape the direction of my future.”

Describing her lecturers as ‘incredibly talented educators’, Kerry says that UWTSD has fostered working relationships and career opportunities that will allow her to excel in the coming years. “All of that is worth so much more than a qualification,” Kerry adds.

“My highlight at Swansea College of Art was being able to work closely with the Architectural Glass Centre. The studio became my second home, and I feel so privileged to have learnt from and worked with Owen Luetchford and Stacey Poultney, who are both very talented practitioners.”

Kerry Collison smiles between her parents.

Kerry kept herself busy whilst studying, completing a graduate residency at Carmarthen School of Art and an Apprenticeship in Stained Glass at the Architectural Glass Centre, while working closely with New British Art to host a solo exhibition alongside her MA Degree Show.

Her work focuses on contemporising how people view stained glass, using humour and atypical imagery to make a traditionally prestigious craft more accessible to a public audience. “Glaziers have always had a sense of humour that they’ve cleverly hidden throughout their work,” Kerry says. “It only becomes apparent when you study their works closely, and for me, this is something important to bring back out into the open.”

While finishing up her Masters, Kerry has also been working with Sky Arts on the second season of Bill Bailey’s Master Crafters: The Next Generation, which airs this Thursday, 13th July, at 8pm.

“I applied for the show on a complete whim, never expecting that it would amount to anything – especially as my work is often non-traditional and controversial. But it turns out they seem to love that!”

“I was definitely nervous to work on camera, but once I started I had so much fun completing the challenges for the show. It felt like a dream, so I’m excited to see it air and the whole experience to become real.”

Filming created great relationships between Kerry, the other crafters and the professionals she worked with, which she hopes will lead to future collaborations. “It’s been a fantastic learning and life experience. I would advise other creators that any involvement in your field’s community will benefit your future as an artist.

“But first and foremost, I would not be where I am now without having studied at UWTSD’s Swansea College of Art and worked with the Architectural Glass Centre. Swansea is known for its stained glass, and it really has earned that recognition.

“I had immense support from the technicians at UWTSD, and the facilities are amazing – I cannot recommend it enough if you’re interested in Stained Glass.”

Catch Kerry on Sky Arts, Thursday 13th July at 8pm.