Nicole Ayliffe explores the optical qualities of glass through her beautiful transparent glass forms. By using a variety of cold working techniques, Nicole creates unique visual effects that emphasise the reflection and refraction of light between the exterior and interior surfaces. Nicole’s previous work has been inspired by her childhood memories and, more recently, of imagery found within the natural world. The solidity of the glass and the suspension of the internal bubble, creates an optical illusion of space, distortion and movement. All of her work is hand blown, meticulously surface worked, cut and polished to provide a window into the interior form.
Nicole graduated in 2005 from the South Australian School of Art, University of South Australia, completing a Bachelor of Visual Arts (Honours) majoring in glass and photography. She has been selected for inclusion in many art awards and has been a finalist in the Ranamok Glass Prize, Vicki Torr International Year of Glass Prize, the Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize and Young Glass International, Ebeltoft, Denmark. Nicole has exhibited in London, Stockholm, Taiwan, Edinburgh and Pittsburg. Her work is represented in numerous collections in Australia and overseas, including Parliament House (Canberra), National Art Glass Collection (Wagga Wagga), The Toledo Museum of Art, USA and the Glasmuseum (Coesfeld, Germany).
