MEET THE ARTIST

Sean Donlon has been drawn to the challenges of manipulating glass since the first day he melted a clear marble. Donlon earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Craft and Material Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2012. He has traveled all over the United States and internationally to Lauscha, Germany and Murano, Italy to study lost techniques in glass, and to work with other glass artists. Among his distinguished honors, Donlon was the recent recipient of a Faculty Research Grant at Virginia Commonwealth University, he was awarded Best in Show at Craft + Design, was featured in American Craft Magazine, Home & Design Magazine, and recently received the Smithsonian’s New Direction – Excellence in Design of the Future award. Donlon's work has been exhibited at the Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, and the Chrysler Museum. Sean is a full-time artist currently living, working, and teaching in Richmond, Virginia. 

Artist Statement:

I use flameworking, a glassblowing technique, to express ideas – building sculptural forms and playful installations that create space for moments of interaction between viewer and artwork. The first teapot was born out of the realization that I had purposely ignored functional objects in my practice. This was out of fear that functional goods would overshadow my internal voice.  I soon realized that the teapot was in fact, in its very mundanity, a perfect canvas for expression and play.

This shift in perspective brought the teapot to the fore of my thought as an expression of human connection, and a canvas for the exploration of storytelling.  The mirror teapot is the building block for my art. Each teapot is its own individual, and together they make a larger community, just like you and I.  

These mirror teapots come to life when they are experienced by the viewer (encountered in person). Their mirrored surfaces reflect the viewer and the movement or stillness of the space, creating an alternate version of the world in which the viewer themselves are directly engaged. In this moment of reflection, the viewer becomes part of the work itself.

 The teapot became a symbol in my eyes, one that could be recognized by all people. Throughout history teapots have been used for expression, both through the way they have been made (constructed, decorated, etc.) and the way they have been used. Teapots are a point of connection around which people meet, wind down, tell stories, or take a moment for self-reflection.