Matthew Curtis’ work continues to explore a dialogue between texture, shape and colour.  His glass forms are blown as a three colour overlay and when cooled, the opaque skin of the object is mapped out, marked, and then incised.  In his most recent work, Matthew explains that he is “exploring the line itself as a mark.”  In some pieces the lines are varied and in others they are expressed repetitively with meditative precision, in an effort to explore the ephemeral nature of human endeavour.  In some cases line echoes form, while in other works, the lines abstractly reference natural landscapes.  The physical act of marking and cutting opens the interior of the vessel, allowing the inner transparency to be experienced through shifting light, at times quiet and still, at other times, bursting with vibrancy and energy.

Matthew Curtis began his career in glass blowing under the expert teaching of glass artist Robert Wynne in the early 1990s.  In between building a hot glass studio for Robert and assisting with the glassblowing there, Matthew worked on his own projects. Working alongside skilled practitioners was a great influence for Matthew and he “readily acknowledges the importance of the development of his work provided by his fellow collective members: Ben Edols, Kathy Elliot, Bettina Visentin and Richard Whiteley”.  In 1996, Matthew was selected as a finalist for the prestigious RFC Glass Prize as well as being awarded the People’s Choice Prize.  In 2002, Matthew was recognised for his significant contribution to contemporary craft by being included in the exhibition ‘Material Culture’ curated by Robert Bell for the National Gallery of Australia. Additionally, he was the only glass artist selected as one of twenty-one artists for the National Sculpture Prize and Exhibition at the National Gallery of Australia in 2003.