Claudia Borella’s glass pieces are elegant works which sensitively explore the interrelationships between pattern, colour and form.  Minimalist in appearance, her sophisticated glass reliefs combine cool geometric motifs with subtle colour relationships. Claudia’s background in industrial design is evidenced in the graphic qualities of her pieces.  Of her work, she remarks, “travel has provided the most significant turning points in terms of artistic and conceptual development ... the work could be stylistically classified as Australian, modern Italian, Japanese or Pacific, embracing a hybrid of cultures.”  Claudia’s glass aims to emphasise the concept of art which transcends boundaries, and the visual symbolism in her work avoids the constraints of culturally specific spoken language.  Metaphysical qualities of light, time and the moon’s phases are fused with visual elements and practices borrowed from different indigenous cultural influences.  For instance, the practices of bone and jade carving, commonly used by many indigenous Pacific region groups, are evident in Claudia’s treatment of surfaces, and impart cultural identity and meaning to her work without limiting the artist to one specific cultural heritage.

Claudia graduated with 1st class honours from the Canberra School of Art in 1995 and, with a growing international reputation, was awarded the Bavarian State Prize and Gold Medal at Talente '98, an exhibition for young designers held in Munich, Germany.  Claudia was also awarded the Kyohei Fujila Prize at the Young Glass '97 exhibition in Ebeltoft, Denmark.  Other achievements overseas include a residency at the Bullseye Glass Resource Centre in Portland, USA, and a year at the European Institute of Design, Milan.  In 2001, Claudia moved to New Zealand where she was appointed lecturer at Wanganui Polytechnic/UCOL.  In 2003, Claudia received the David Thomas Award from the New Dowse museum in New Zealand.  Her work has been acquired by the National Gallery of Australia, Australian National University, Artbank, Wagga Wagga Art Gallery – National Art Glass Collection, Museo del Vetro in Murano (Italy,) Toyama City Institute of Glass (Japan) and Glasmuseet Ebeltoft (Denmark).