Art student's winning heart of glass

AN art student has captured the attention of the nation after appearing on prime time television.

Kira Meyer was chosen as one of three glass blowers to design a chandelier for a boutique hotel on the Channel 4 programme, Monty Don’s Real Craft Show.

Kira, who studied for a BA (Hons) in Three Dimensional Design at Manchester School of Art before continuing on to a Masters at the School, was put forward for the show by a curator with whom she had worked at the London Glassworks during a second-year work experience placement.

The series producers were initially looking for “amateur” glassblowers, but as Kira puts it, “it’s not something you can really do in your kitchen”.  

Chandelier challenge

Three glassblowers were challenged to create a chandelier for boutique hotel Hotel du Vin, with the winning design being hung in the hotel lobby.

Despite still competition, it was Kira’s deep blue creation based on the stemware found on hotel dining tables that impressed the judges the most.

She said: “I’m very glad I did it – although I haven’t watched it.

“It was a fantastic opportunity because I learned a lot and I went on a bit of a personal journey myself.”

Career change

Kira had previously worked as an NHS phlebotomist, and combines studying with being mum to two children, Eber and Elika. She said it was having children that inspired her to change career and go back to University.

“I’ve always been really interested in glass and sculpture,” she said. “Having kids is quite a life changing event and gives you time to contemplate what kind of role model you want to be for them.”

Having grown up just outside Copenhagen, in Denmark, she remembers from her own childhood visiting the glass blowers’ studios on the beach.

“The glass looked like jewels, it was mesmerising,” she said. “There’s something about glass that’s a bit otherworldly. I also like the physicality of glass – you need to be reasonably fit to do it, and I like the pace of it.”

New opportunities

Since appearing on the show, Kira has designed glass for galleries and the chandelier company who were consultants on the show have asked her to do some more designs for them.

She is also studying ways to fuse traditional craft with digital technology through techniques such as water cutting, laser engraving and reprinting sonar images.

She said she is particularly glad that she stayed at Manchester School of Art, one of the few art schools to still offer glassblowing as part of the curriculum.

She said: “The facilities are fantastic and the tutors were all very forthcoming with advice and academic guidance.”