DMU glass artist in spotlight at prestigious design festival


Unusual glass sculptures by a Design Crafts graduate from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) are featured at a prominent festival that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

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Four sculptural pieces designed by Morgan Stockton can be seen at the London Design Festival (LDF) as part of the TRANS-FORM exhibit presented by Mint, an interior design store renowned for its collections by both internationally established designers and emerging talent.

The 22-year-old from Birmingham, whose work is on display at LDF until Saturday 29 September, said: “I was totally taken aback when Mint approached me to be part of their exhibition.

“It’s one of my favourite interior design stores and has provided me with lots of inspiration during my degree.

“To be picked out by them and featured alongside such talented designers feels amazing.”

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Inspired by architecture, Morgan creates her minimalist sculptures by blowing hot glass into wire moulds, resulting in a unique grid texture on her pieces.

“To make my pieces I have to stand on top of a ladder, as they’re quite big,” she said.

“I actually made my most ambitious piece to date for this exhibition and I’m really happy with how it turned out, especially as I had never attempted anything on this scale before.”

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The opportunity came about after Mint spotted Morgan’s work on DMU’s stand at New Designers, one of the biggest launch pads for graduates.

She said: “Being scouted by Mint was brilliant, but New Designers was a great experience regardless.

“Getting to meet so many new makers was a real highlight. Seeing other people’s practices – how they innovate, what materials they use and so on - was very interesting.

“I was also spotted by New Designers themselves and have been invited to apply for One Year In, where they showcase promising designers a year into their careers. Seeing how DMU graduates Alice Funge and Angie Packer had evolved in a year was very inspiring at this year’s show.”

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Even before choosing a university, Morgan knew she wanted to try her hand at working with glass.

“Not many universities offer the opportunity to work with hot glass, or to work with the range of materials available at DMU,” she said.

“When I looked around on an Open Day, I really liked the facilities and the fact that Design Crafts gives you free rein of all the workshops – that prospect really excited me.”

Ironically, when Morgan first started working with glass, she didn’t enjoy it.

She said: “It takes time to learn the craft and it’s only in my second year that I started to become more interested in both hot and cold glass processes and to develop my skills.

“Working on a live brief for Harriman & Co, an eclectic homewares store in Leicester, really helped me find my aesthetic and boosted my confidence.”

In between working as a gallery co-ordinator at The Gallery at DMU, Morgan is developing an exciting new body of sculptural work.

Posted on Tuesday 25 September 2018

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