Jessamy Kelly

Dr Jessamy Kelly is a glass artist based in Edinburgh, she studied Glass and Ceramics at the University of Sunderland and went on to complete her Masters in Glass at Edinburgh College of Art in 2002. She completed her practice-based PhD at the University of Sunderland in 2009. Her doctoral research was an investigation into the hot state combination of Glass and Ceramics in creative practice. She has been a ​lecturer in Glass at Edinburgh College of Art since 2012. Working mainly in glass and ceramics, Jessamy often combines the two materials in her work. She works mainly in slip cast ceramics and cast glass; using traditional handcrafted techniques such as engraving, diamond cutting and sandblasting. Her work is concerned with the conceptual framework of the Anthropocene that states human activity has fundamentally influenced and changed our climate and environment. Her work is a direct commentary on the environment and the impact materials have on the world. Often made out of recycled glass, her work is also concerned with material reuse and the journey of finding low-impact alternatives for casting and for creating refractory moulds, to advance a more sustainable studio practice.