British Glass Biennale 2026

The British Glass Biennale is the centrepiece of the 2026 International Festival of Glass. Held at The World of Glass in St Helens, UK, the Biennale showcases the finest work being made in glass across Britain today — from bold sculptural statements to delicate, technically intricate pieces — representing the full breadth of what is possible in this endlessly versatile material. The exhibition opens to the public on Friday 28 August and runs through 1 November 2026, giving visitors plenty of opportunity to experience one of the most significant events in the British art calendar.

The 2026 Biennale is a juried exhibition, open to artists who are British nationals or who are living and working in the UK. Submissions have been assessed by a distinguished international panel of glass artists, curators, and specialists. The selected works reflect both the deep-rooted traditions of British glassmaking and the exciting directions in which artists are pushing the medium today. All works in the exhibition are available to purchase, making this a unique opportunity for collectors, institutions, and first-time buyers to acquire exceptional contemporary glass art.

All participating artists will have the chance to be selected for the prestigious ‘Best in Show’ award, a £3,500 prize. The winner will be announced at a special opening ceremony in St Helens in August. A full list of the participating artists in this year’s Biennale can be found below. Details on their individual pieces will be shared closer to the exhibition opening date in August.

Information about the jurors who selected the works — and the expertise and perspectives they each brought to the selection process — can also be found below.

We hope to welcome you in person to The World of Glass in St Helens this summer to enjoy this exhibition.

Participating Artists

Anthony Amoako Atttah

Grace Ayson

Emma Baker

Lisa Bate

Heike Brachlow

Camilla Bridgewater

Sarah Brown

Steve Brown

Edmond Byrne

Phillipa Candy

Keeryong Choi

Mary Corkery

Jeff Cunningham

Rachel Darbourne

Callum Dawes

Christopher Day

James Devereux

Jiayun Ding

Celia Dowson

Sally Fawkes

Elena Fleury-Rojo

Jahday Ford

Zoe Garner

Hannah Gibson

Stephen Gillies

Alexander Goodger

Emma Goring

Lulu Harrison

Crispian Heath

Marie Worre Hastrup Holm

Flora Jamieson

Kate Jones

Joshua Kerley

Hassina Khan

Aria Kiani

Alison Kinnaird

Laura Kriefman

Isabella Kullmann

Monette Larsen

Jon Lewis

Julie Light

 

Alison Lowry

Geoffrey Mann

Joanna Manousis

Guy Marshall

Hannah Masi

James Maskrey

Gayle Matthias

Joanne Mitchell

Tracy Nicholls

Michele Oberdieck

Marzena Ostromecka

Marged Owain

Helen Pailing

Jade Pinnell

Stacey Poultney

Verity Pulford

Georgia Redpath

Liam Reeves

Colin Reid

Helen Restorick

Bruno Romanelli

Layne Rowe

Sally Scott

Dian Shi

Amanda Simmons

Elizabeth Sinkova

Suzie Smith

Andrea Spencer

Madison Sprague

Helen Stokes

Alison Stott

Ayako Tani

Angela Thwaites

Jane Vincent

Elliot Walker

Annie Wasdell

Zac Weinberg

Sarah Wiberley

Bethany Wood

Jeff Zimmer

Maria Zulueta

Exhibition Jury

Tami Landis joined the Corning Museum of Glass in 2023 as Curator of Postwar and Contemporary Glass, where she oversees the vision, strategic direction, and stewardship of the Museum’s renowned collection of more than 13,000 works created from 1945 to the present. She also serves as editor of New Glass Review, the Museum’s annual “exhibition in print” highlighting innovative contemporary glass projects from around the world, and oversees the prestigious Rakow Commission awarded to a contemporary artist each year.

Prior to joining the Museum, Landis held curatorial and educational positions at the Toledo Museum of Art and the Western Gallery. As the inaugural Hirsch Fellow at the Toledo Museum of Art, she worked with Diane C. Wright on the acquisition, interpretation, and display of the museum’s extensive glass collection and contributed to major exhibitions including Now & Then: Moments in Glass History and Katherine Gray: (Being) In a Hot Shop. Landis holds a master’s degree in Art History and Museum Studies from Bowling Green State University and a bachelor’s degree in Art Education from University of Toledo.

Jeffrey Sarmiento is Senior Lecturer in the School of Art and Design at Australian National University. Previously an Associate Professor in Glass at University of Sunderland, where he completed his PhD in 2011, he was educated at the Rhode Island School of Design and has been a Fulbright Fellow in Denmark. His residencies include UrbanGlass, S12 in Bergen, Norway, and Pilchuck Glass School. A pioneer of print techniques for kiln-formed glass, Sarmiento has taught internationally and served as a guest critic, juror, and curator for major glass programs and exhibitions across Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America.

Known for exploring cultural identity and the graphic image in glass, Sarmiento creates intricately layered objects, sculptures, and public commissions that embed imagery within transparent forms through innovative printing and kiln-forming processes. He won the International Glass Prize in 2012, and his 2013 solo exhibition at the National Glass Centre toured the United States. His collaborative work was also featured in Glasstress Gotika at the 56th Venice Biennale.

Louis Thompson has worked with glass for over 30 years, working independently and collaboration with artists, art consultants, galleries and museums. Louis completed his Masters degree at the Royal College of Art, London. in 2011. He was the recipient of two prestigious awards in 2012, the Jerwood Makers Prize Commission and the Best Exhibit Prize at the British Glass Biennale. His work has been exhibited extensively at international galleries and his artworks can be found in museum collections in the UK, Sweden, Germany, Czech Republic, Japan and the USA. He has been invited to create installations and art works for various museums and public spaces. He has completed residencies at the Glazenhuis Museum in Belgium, The Museum of Glass in Tacoma and at Soneva Art and Glass on the Maldives. In 2022 Louis had his first major solo exhibition Ebb and Flow at One Canada Water, London. He lives and works in London where he shares a studio with two other artists.