My Account
Warkworth’s artistic community has expanded with the opening of a gallery, retail outlet and studio dedicated to glass work.
Kleurglass is owned by flame work glass artist, jeweller and silversmith Inge Chappell, who was previously based at her home studio in Puhoi.
For the past five years, she has used her home base to make and market her distinctive colourful beads and sculptures, and run workshops.
“A great proportion of students attending the workshops were from the Warkworth/Matakana area so it made sense to establish myself in the town,” Inge says.
She says her new riverside premises, downstairs from Katya Maker boutique in Elizabeth Street, offer the best of both worlds – an easily accessible retail and studio space in a quiet, natural environment for workshops.
“It allows people taking workshops a degree of privacy which I think is important. The classes will cover glass bead making, glass sculpture and glass fusing, as well as silver work.”
Inge turned to glass bead making as an antidote to the pressures of working in corporate marketing.
“I wanted to learn a craft to counter-balance the stress of my corporate life. I started selling what I was making to colleagues and it snowballed from there. Most of my sales come through my website and my work is in selected galleries and boutiques.
“Glass making is great for anyone who wants a creative experience because it is accessible in a way that something such as glass blowing may not be.”
Inge describes her work as a fusion of contemporary and eclectic styles. The bright colours and organic forms used in her work are influenced by culture, travel and nature.
“I hope the new studio will encourage a greater appreciation of glass art work. I was born in the Netherlands, where glass art has a long and proud tradition. It is an artform that offers endless possibilities in terms of colour, technique and shape.”
