Sophie Eslinger

Sophie Eslinger

Calgary, Alberta, CA

Hailing from Vancouver Island, Sophie Eslinger confused her parents when she started a BFA at Alberta University of the Arts, focusing on glass as her medium when she had originally stated her plan to build on her elementary education degree by getting a masters in that field. Why glass? They wondered, despite the fact that her childhood home was filled with hanging crystals in the window, stained glass projects her mother has made, and multiple other pieces of glass art her family had purchased while dragging her around to any open glassblowing studio or shops they passed on many summertime family road trips.

For Sophie it was obvious- the fascination she felt when she was young from little things like chasing refracted rainbows up the wall or organizing small glass jewels on her window never really went away. Her work combines blowing and coldworking glass to capture that feeling in contemporary and gallery settings, giving everyone the permission to be fascinated.