Children’s reflections inspire glass art

Artwork inspired by over 150 children from the University of Melbourne’s Early Learning Centre is currently on display at the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery as part of Collective Vision, the 16th annual Ausglass Conference.

Kindergarten teacher Suzana Zaper and glass artist Philip Stokes have worked together for the past six years to produce unique glass sculptures, based on children’s drawings, poetic vocabulary and imaginations.

The resulting exhibition, Step Gently on this Earth and this Sky, features Mr Stokes’ acclaimed glass sculptures. The pieces reflect the Early Learning Centre’s focus on promoting care and concern for the environment, and are inspired by the Yarra River and other landmarks around the centre.

Ms Zaper, who has 25 years’ experience working in early childhood education, initiated the collaboration in 2007 when she came across Mr Stokes’ studio at Abbotsford Convent, which is next door to the centre. 

She says the partnership works because she and Mr Stokes share a commitment to children learning from and working directly with artists.

“What this collaboration achieves is the children become artists and teachers,” says Ms Zaper. “The children do all the designs and they offer lots of descriptive language and very beautiful stories that Philip can take and put into his sculptures. They completely invent a new vocabulary for Philip.”

Mr Stokes says the project offers him an opportunity to experience the joy and honesty of working with young children.

“It is a meeting of imaginations,” he says. “The children really see what is happening.”

The collaboration offers children a rare opportunity to be part of glass sculpture creation, says Ms Zaper. Each year she displays several pieces from the collection, as inspiration for further learning in the classroom.

“Each child always thinks a new piece is ‘theirs’,” she says. “Philip acknowledges every single child’s artwork in his pieces, and so we end up with a collaborative beautiful big piece that belongs to everyone.”

Ms Zaper says the children’s reactions to seeing the sculptures for the first time are always special.

“One child said: “Is your heart beating as fast as mine Philip?” she recalls. 

“Another said: “There is lots of love around when beautiful things are happening”. Children have a deep understanding of art.”

www.elc.unimelb.edu.au/boorai/