Glass-blowing plumber taps into world of colour

Chris Day's piece has gone on permanent display at Stourbridge Glass Museum

By John Bray

BBC West Midlands

A heating and plumbing engineer who went back to university to pursue his dream of becoming a glass blower has delivered a piece of work for one of the country's top glass museums.

Chris Day studied at University of Wolverhampton, and believes he's the only black glass blower in England.

The 54-year-old, from Lichfield, Staffordshire, has seen his career take off over the last two years.

He now has work on display at six museums, and his latest piece After the Darkness, the Light was unveiled on Friday at Stourbridge Glass Museum during the International Festival of Glass.

His developing reputation in the glass world has been built around his work looking at difficult issues of race and slavery.

So his plan with this latest work, a glass boat commission for the Contemporary Glass Society, was to be more celebratory, and saw him weave in strong colours inspired by different nations' flags.

But the Russian invasion of Ukraine earlier this year, and the news reports beamed into homes around the world, forced the artist into a rethink.

After the Darkness, the Light has seen Chris Day introduce more colour into his work

Will Farmer, glass and design specialist on the BBC Antiques Roadshow, was guest of honour at the unveiling

"We see black people being held at the borders because of the colour of their skin. They were letting all the white people through first," he said.

"How can you, in this day and age, still have racism during the war?"

Mr Day said the commission had turned into an opportunity "to create that conversation about racism again".

He added: "This is my first commission, so I really wanted to expose myself as an artist.

"I need to get out of that comfort zone and to show that I can progress from where I've been."

Chains and rope are a familiar element of Chris Day's glasswork

In creating the boat sculpture, Mr Day said he wanted to "open a discussion about immigrants", but change the "extremely negative" narrative which was based on "images of orange dinghies abandoned on the UK coastline".

"In that instance we forget that these are people - fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers and, more importantly, human beings," he said.

"In their mother country they may have worked as architects, lawyers, doctors or perhaps - like me - a plumbing engineer. 

"But all that is portrayed is a group of people trying to access a benefit system instead of the positive benefits they could bring."

Chris Day working at Stourbridge Glass Museum in Allister Malcolm's workshop

The artwork will go on permanent display at Stourbridge Glass Museum, where Mr Day is now a trustee.

"The boat has always been a way of getting to this country throughout history and I have created a sculpture boat shaped using the copper structure I have developed within my work," he said.

'Feel like Cinderella'

Despite his success, Mr Day has no immediate plans to quit his day job.

He said he felt like "Cinderella".

"One minute I am a plumbing and heating engineer, then I put on my artist's suit and, you know, I'm the belle of the ball," he said.

As well as works on display in museums, he has even sold pieces to princesses.

Much of Chris Day's work has looked at the issue of slavery

"Doors have been opened in so many places," he said.

"I didn't feel I had a lot of confidence and I wasn't expecting what's happened to me.

"I've got no airs and graces and I still think I'm the the caveman of glassblowing."

Rising energy bills

Despite that, Mr Day says rising energy bills are having an impact on his ability to create work, and is an issue facing the entire glass industry.

He is also concerned at university glass blowing courses being cut.

"What happens to the new people that want to come in and do glass?" he asked.

"They can't do it or they haven't got the facilities or even the money now.

"If you wanted to hire a studio, it used to be quite, well not necessarily affordable, but accessible.

"I'm lucky because my work is selling. Not very well, but at least I can sell a piece of work and then I can use that money to produce another piece of work."

He said having a second job also helped subsidise his work, meaning no need to compromise on his sculptures.