Tim Rawlinson,
United Kingdom
Tim Rawlinson is a contemporary glass artist whose practice explores the relationship between light, colour and form. Combining precise geometric structures with intricate optical effects, he creates sculptural works that transform the way light moves through glass and challenge the viewer’s perception of depth and space.
Curatorial Profile
Tim Rawlinson’s artistic practice is defined by a distinctive interplay between geometric precision and the expressive possibilities of glass. Working with glassblowing, casting, cutting and polishing, he creates sculptural forms in which transparency, refraction and reflection become integral to the composition. Highly polished surfaces and carefully constructed internal structures produce shifting optical effects, allowing colour and light to appear suspended, multiplied or distorted within the material.
More recently, Rawlinson has expanded his visual language through experiments with reactive pigments and glass powders. Drawing inspiration from the liquid light projections of the 1960s, he introduces painterly textures and dynamic movements of colour into otherwise controlled forms. This contrast between structural clarity and fluid visual expression gives his work a distinctive sense of depth and movement.
Rawlinson studied Architecture at Brighton University before pursuing Ceramics and Glass at Buckinghamshire New University, graduating in 2011. He subsequently joined London Glassblowing, where he established and managed the cold-working studio. His work has been presented internationally, including at Collect Art Fair, the Coburg Prize for Contemporary Glass and the International Glass Prize at GlazenHuis. His 2018 solo exhibition, Kumano Kudo, was held at London Glassblowing.
House of Glass Gallery
Artist Statement
My work explores the relationship between light and glass, using the material’s transparency and refractive qualities to create optical illusions and challenge perceptions of colour, form and space.
Through a combination of blown, cast and polished glass, I develop geometric structures that manipulate the passage of light. The interaction of reflections, shadows and internal colour creates an architecture of light that changes with the viewer’s position and surrounding conditions.
Recent experiments with reactive pigments and glass powders have introduced a more painterly dimension to my practice. Inspired by the liquid light projections of the 1960s, I explore the movement and distortion of colour within carefully constructed forms.
In a world increasingly driven by speed and immediate solutions, my work invites a slower, more contemplative experience. I hope to encourage viewers to pause, observe and discover the subtle complexities of light and the material itself.
Tim Rawlinson
Selected Works
Dispersion
Cast glass, cut and polished
Approx. 28 × 12 × 12 cm
Photography: Ester Segarra
Oculus Portal
Freeblown glass, cut and polished
35 × 26 × 11 cm
Photography: Sylvain Deleu
Echoes of Light Group
Freeblown glass, cut and polished
Approx. 28–30 cm diameter
Photography: Sylvain Deleu
Rainbow Echoes of Light (Left)
Freeblown glass, cut and polished
36 × 30 × 9 cm
Photography: Alick Cotterill
Presence of Absence (Right)
Freeblown glass, cut and polished
28 × 35 × 7 cm
Photography: Alick Cotterill
Tesseract III
Cast glass, cut and polished
20 × 23 × 20 cm
Photography: Ester Segarra
Electric Parallax
Freeblown glass, cut and polished
17 × 40 × 22 cm
Photography: Sylvain Deleu