Lulu Harrison on making glass from the River Thames.

Material Matters with Grant Gibson

Lulu Harrison is a researcher and maker in sustainable material development. She creates glass pieces that have often been inspired by ancient making techniques, working with local and waste resources.

Over the years, she has collaborated with historians, material scientists, and artists to create ‘geo-specific’ glass. Lulu has recently won the Ralph Saltzman Prize for her project Thames Glass – which uses various waste materials from the River Thames, including river sand, wood ashes and quagga mussel shells – and has had an accompanying solo show at the Design Museum in London.

In this episode we talk about: moving to Cornwall and building her own studio; how glass is made and why Thames Glass is different; being inspired by traditional techniques; collaborating with everyone from academics to Murano glassblowers; using wine waste, river sand and mussel shells in her glass recipes; how Covid helped shape her practice; swimming in The Thames as a child; her (extremely) creative family; finding school tough; starting her own fashion label; and stumbling upon glass by ‘happy accident’.

And remember, Material Matters London runs from 17-20 September at Space House. The fair is free for architects and designers but it’s vital you register in advance. For more details go to our website: material matters.design

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