Stewart Hearn

From his studio in the Cambridgeshire Fens, this artisan uses time-honoured techniques to create contemporary vessels inspired by nature’s rich palette.

- Emma J Page

Taking his cue from the colours of Wicken Fen’s agricultural landscape, Stewart Hearn has been blowing contemporary glass vessels for more than 25 years. After college, he founded London Glassworks before moving to Cambridgeshire and launching an eponymous collection.

“I live and breathe glassblowing. I’ve built up an incredible insight into the nature of glass and have learned to work with the material, not against it. Glass is something that can’t be dominated; you have to ‘feel’ it and endeavour to correct it as you go.

I try to make unique pieces that haven’t been produced before. Much of what I create is commissioned privately, but I also o≠er a bespoke service to restorers and the public where I remake or replicate objects that are no longer available. I’m often asked to recreate what is assumed to be a simple piece but, in truth, no item is easy to produce from scratch.