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Books and Buildings - A Solo Exhibition of glass sculptures

Books and Buildings was a solo exhibition at SODA, Istanbul and the Ken Saunders Gallery Chicago, which brought together a number of Sarmiento’s glass sculptures: ‘Centre’ investigates architectural form as an urban experience, referencing a London tower block; ‘Estate’ takes as a reference point, the architecture of the north east England and embeds personal histories through the inclusion of portraits; ‘Encyclopaedia’ a grid of polished glass blocks with layered screen-printed photographs, scientific diagrams and handwritten texts which develop a narrative across the individual pieces.

The works bring together processes in water-jet cutting and kiln-formed glass, to create low relief surfaces, fused together using precisely controlled kiln firing. ‘Centre’ consisting of over 4000 unique parts, is a large-scale cut and assembled glass sculpture. The exhibition opened at contemporary art and design space SODA Istanbul and subsequently at Ken Saunders Gallery, Chicago during the SOFA decorative arts fair. The ‘Encyclopaedia’ artworks were also featured in Glass and Clay, an international exchange exhibition between cultural partners in Washington DC and Sunderland, UK. The works were also included in ‘Illuminations’ at Bede’s World Museum, Jarrow (2013), to provide a contemporary counterpoint to the showing of the Lindisfarne Gospels in Durham.

Books and Buildings was critically reviewed in Glass Quarterly. For this work, Sarmiento was also given an honorary diploma in the Jutta Cuny Franz Memorial Award competition for glass art.