Bio
Dr Max Stewart is a sculptor who explores imagery through the medium of glass. Working in the ancient technique of Pâte de Verre (translated as ‘paste of glass’) Stewart challenges the viewer to step inside the object and become the participant. By doing so the viewer encounters the space between what he sees and what he thinks he sees. The colours and surface treatments of his glass are created during the kiln forming process at around 800⁰C using traditional metallic salts and oxides. Much of Stewart’s practice is research led and is informed by processes that are akin to scientific enquiry. His practice is also derived from the techniques and methodology of the French Pâte de Verre artist Amalric Walter (1870-1959) that have become central to his work. Stewart completed his doctorate at Edinburgh University and Edinburgh College of Art. It was the first joint PhD between those two institutions. Before turning to glass in 2000 Stewart worked in animation as a production designer chiefly at the BBC and Channel 4 (UK). |
Publications:
‘Pate de Verre: The Material of Time’ – Co-authored book with Norwegian glass artist Tone Ørvik, Schiffer Publications, US. Published: September 20th 2022 (US), October 26th 2022 (UK).
https://schifferbooks.com/products/pate-de-verre?_pos=1&_sid=e6dc06f70&_ss=r
UK Book Launch August 26th 2022, International Festival of Glass, Stourbridge, West Midlands, UK.
US Book Launch May 19th 2022, Glass Arts Society Conference 2022, (GAS), Tacoma WA, US.
FUSION: Glass Art of Shelly Xue (2014).
Craft Research, Volume 5, Number 2, 1 October 2014, pp. 271-280(10)
Publisher: Intellect DOI: https://doi.org/10.1386/crre.5.2.271_7
Shanghai Museum of Glass, p/bk catalogue, 47 pp. Article translated into Chinese.
Building on the Past: The Pate De Verre Sculpture of Max Stewart, Craft Research Journal, Sept/Oct 2013. Co-authored Prof. Keith Cummings.
Volume 4, Number 2, 1 October 2013. ISSN 2040-4689 (Print); ISSN 2040-4697 (Online)
- Stewart, M. (2011) Sculpting in Glass: Amalric Walter, Glass Circle News, Vol 34 No.1 pp 14-16, Ed, Jane Dorner. ISSN 2942-652.
- Stewart, M. (2010) When Light Congeals Into Matter, The Glass Art Society, 2010 Journal, Louisville, Kentucky, pp79-81. ISBN 0278-9426.
- Stewart M., Cummings K. R. (2007) The Amalric Walter Research Project, AHRC/University of Wolverhampton. ISBN 978-0-9536957-1-2.
Conference Presentations:
2023... Society of Glass Technology: Annual Conference, Cambidge University, Cambridge, UK. Keynote speech: Glass Education in the UK.
2023…. The Singing Forest: Lecture to the University of Wolverhampton’s LGBTQ+ organisation. about my career in animation and glass. February 1st 2023.
2022…. The Power of Glass: Gods and Monsters: A Warning From the Frontline’ Keynote Speech on glass education in the UK at Craft Scotland Conference, Edinburgh, Scotland, November 18th 2022.
2022...Gods and Monsters: Lecture to the Glass Arts Society Conference 2022, (GAS), Tacoma WA, US.
2022... Gods and Monsters: Online Lecture to the Contemporary Glass Society )UK) 2022.
2019... Pate de Verre: The Material of Time – A Shifting Paradigm: Organiser and keynote speaker for an international conference on pâte de verre (as part of the 2019 International Festival of Glass, Stourbridge, UK), University of Wolverhampton, West Midlands. Co-authors: Professor Keith Cummings, Margaret Alston, Tone Ørvik, Karen Akester, Faith Mercer.
- 2010 Conference paper: When Light Congeals Into Matter, Glass Arts Society 40th Annual Conference 2010, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
- 2009 Conference paper: The Sense of My Screaming Skin. Annual Scottish Glass Society Conference.
- 2008 Conference paper: The Sense of My Screaming Skin. ‘Parallels and Connections’, University of Sunderland, UK.
- 2007 Conference paper: When Light Congeals into Matter, ‘See What You Think’, Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh.
- 2006 Invited panellist public debate ‘What is Pâte de Verre?’, International Festival of Glass, Broadfield House Glass Museum.
Recent Exhibitions:
2023: Along the Silk Road. Nantong Art Museum, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China. May - September 2023. The Ancestor, A Duality of Sorts, Split Head, The Mute.
2022: Collaborations. Organiser and co-curator of an exhibition at the Wolverhampton Art Gallery of 20 British Glass artists working collaboratively in pairs. Co–curated with Professor Vanessa Cutler. August 20th – October 23rd 2022. Collaboration with Carrie Fertig : Unbind - mixture of film and cast glass and pate de verre.
2022: Expanding Horizons: From China to Wolverhampton. Co–curated with Dr Jane Webb: A review of Chinese glass artists who have had an educational association with the Glass Department of the University of Wolverhampton. Exhibitors include Professor Shelly Xue (Shanghai), Professor Guan Donghai, (Beijing) Yan Feng, (Jilin) and Professor Zhuang Xiaowei (Beijing). August 20th – December 5th 2022, University of Wolverhampton.
2022: And So (I Press My Lover’s Palm to Mine) and The Bound Death Mask, Bruntnell Astley Exhibition at the White Cone Glass Museum, Stourbridge, West Midlands: August – September.
2017- 2018…. The Sense of My Screaming Skin, Manifesting My Bi-Polarity:. Legacies: An Exhibition of 30 years of Glass at Wolverhampton School of Glass: White Cone Glass Museum, Stourbridge: August – September. …..
2017:
- Collect 17, Saatchi Gallery, London (c/o Bruntnell Astley Contemporary Glass Gallery) Split Head, Leather Mask, The Ancestor: Collect 17: Saatchi Gallery, London, UK
2015…. A Duality of Sorts, Bruntnell Astley Exhibition at White House Cone Museum. International Festival of Glass, Stourbridge.
2014 … The Ancestor, Finalist Coburg European Glass Prize Exhibition, Coburg, Germany April 13-September 2014.
2012-13 ….. The Mayan Christ: Back to the Future. Broadfield House Glass Museum, Kingswinford, West Midlands
2012:
- Craftsense: Bilston Craft Gallery, Bilston, West Midlands,
- ECA Glass Students Exhibition: 400th Anniversary of Scottish Glass Conference,
- The Sculpture Court, Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh,
- British Glass Biennale: The Ruskin Centre, Stourbridge, West Midlands,
- Take 30: 30th Anniversary Exhibition, Broadfield House Glass Museum Kingswinford, West Midlands,
- Migrate: Scottish Glass Society Annual Members’ Show, Perth Museum and Broadfield House Glass Museum,
- Glass Routes: Bilston Craft Gallery, Bilston, West Midlands and The Peter Layton Gallery, The Leather Market, London,
- Premise: PhD Student Exhibition, The Sculpture Court, Edinburgh College of Art, Edinburgh,
- A Glass Menagerie:The pâtes-de-verre of Amalric Walter (1870-1959) part showing a display of research findings, Broadfield House Glass Museum and National Glass Centre, Sunderland,
- Three Artists: Clare Gallery, Matakana, New Zealand,
- 900o and Guests: Tamarillo Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand,
- New Zealand Society of Artists in Glass (NZSAG) Members’ Show: GAS Conference, Adelaide, Australia,
- No Earthly Ships: Glasswork on a Sea Theme: Waiheke Art Gallery, Waiheke Island, Auckland, New Zealand,
- Contemporary New Zealand Glass: Uxbridge Art Gallery, Howick, New Zealand,
- On the Periphery: Gillian Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand,
- New Works by Six Glass Artists: Artstation, Auckland, New Zealand,
- The Ring: The Making of a Film: The National Film Archive, Wellington and The Edge, The Aotea Centre, Auckland, New Zealand.

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