Cheryl Edwards - Woven Series #2

Artwork Description:

I make my Murrini by stacking flat coloured sheet glass together. I then heat it up and stretch it so it forms long canes. This process is repeated to give me very intricate designs and patterns. I chop up the canes into little tiles, that then become the design for my vessels. Once I have fused the glass together, I start the process of using gravity and heat to form the finished vessel. This can take a couple of kiln firings. Once the vessel is formed, I cold work each piece. I need to diamond saw and grind the rims, once it is all done the pieces are sandblasted for a satin final finish.

Artist Statement:

I make glass vessels that are inspired by textiles, their patterns, textures, and the stories they hold. At the centre of my practice is a traditional glass technique called Murrini, where small patterned slices of glass are layered and fused together. I use this process to create surfaces that feel like fabric, woven, printed, or stitched, transformed into something solid, luminous, and lasting.

As an Australian artist and vessel maker, I’m drawn to how fabric can connect us to memory, identity, and place. I look to domestic textiles, vintage sewing patterns, and fabric traditions from around the world. These patterns aren’t just decoration to me, they speak of care, resistance, everyday labour, and heritage.

There’s something poetic about turning a soft material like cloth into glass, something that holds light, keeps form, and endures. Glass and fabric both respond to touch and movement. They both tell stories. When I layer tiny Murrini pieces into a vessel, it feels like weaving or stitching. Each one adds to a larger whole, rich with rhythm and memory.

For me, pattern is a way of holding meaning. It offers comfort, continuity, and beauty. Through my work, I want to honour the quiet power of textiles and the people, mostly women, who’ve made and used them across generations. By giving fabric a new life in glass, I hope to celebrate its strength, softness, and the stories it carries
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