Tell us about yourself.
My name is Abegael Uffelman and I am originally from Olney, Maryland. I began working with glass at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia, PA, where I am receiving my Bachelor of Fine Arts.
What draws you to the material you work with?
Glass is a very specific medium that has certain qualities you can’t find in any other medium. I choose the medium I work with very carefully, considering what it does conceptually to my work. Its fragile, transparent, malleable nature, with various ways to manipulate it, allows me to use it in whichever way I need for each unique piece.
What themes do you pursue in your work?
My work spans several different topics, but my most recent body of work is about the impact of my adoption, and how being a Korean born adoptee with white American parents has affected my life on both a personal and socio-political level.
If you weren’t working in this field, what career would you choose?
For a while, my dream was to be a tattoo artist. I still think it’s in my future.
Why are you a member of GAS?
I am a member of GAS because of the opportunities it provides for me as a young, emerging artist. Being able to go to the GAS conferences for the past two years has been an eye-opening experience. I was able to meet artists, whose work I have been following for a long time, and see them demo in person, which is incredibly inspiring.