IS GLASS QUEER? OR IS IT JUST ME?

Phillip Murray Bandura

Queerness, Glass, and the Studio: A Lecture on Identity, Community, and Craft.

Phillip Murray Bandura unveils the transformative power of molten glass in shaping a queer narrative within the glass community. As a Queer gay man, Phillip shares his personal experiences, showcasing how the studio glass movement became a metaphorical home, fostering self-acceptance. The lecture is adorned with visual effects with a deco ball and a bubble maker as part of the presentation. The Lecture pays tribute to a glass studio dance party. Themes of drag, spectacle, camp, satire, loss, danger, sexuality, and shared experiences are explored. This presentation promises an exciting and socially resonant encounter that shall not be forgotten!

Artist Bio: Phillip Murray Bandura is a third-generation queer Calgarian and glass artist. He graduated with distinction from the Alberta College of Art and Design (now AUArts) in 2005 and co-founded Bee Kingdom Glass, an art collective that ran from 2005 to 2020. Bee Kingdom exhibited internationally, earning accolades such as the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award and a feature at the 2009 Cheongju International Craft Biennale.
Phillip’s work is held in prestigious collections, including the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, the City of Calgary, the Tacoma Glass Museum, the Aga Khan, and Elton John. He has spent summers at Pilchuck Glass School and was a founding member of Berlin Glas e.V. In 2022, he earned his MFA in Craft (Glass) from AUArts. His practice explores the intersections of glass, queerness, humor, and camp, pushing the boundaries of contemporary glass art.