About Mike Hunter
Michael James Hunter earned his title of Master Glass Maker from a traditional style apprenticeship served at Wedgwood Glass. Working in teams, he ascended from the most basic job in the hot house, to a Master, chairing his own team over an 11 year period. He feels that he received some of the best training available in the UK at the time, and is proud of this background as it makes him unique in the UK, having successfully made the cross over into contemporary studio glass. ”What is exciting about glass is I never stop learning. The more techniques I master, the more creative and challenging designing becomes. It just continues to intensify the passion I have for this medium”.
Michael founded his own studio in1998 with his wife Sue. He has collaborated with Asprey, designing and making candleholders in elegant filigree twists for their New York store. His first acknowledged demonstration was in 1999 at the Broadfield House Glass Museum. In 2002 he was honoured with the title Scottish Artisan of the year by Balvenie, since which time, he has been awarded three other design awards for Best Collectible and Best Design (to be sold in a museum or a gallery in the UK).
Michael has exhibited his work extensively in solo and group exhibitions which include the Guild Hall, London and the V&A. This followed his twice being in the distinguished final three of the British Glass Technology Award. In 2006 he gave a presentation at Wheaton Paperweight Fest on the making of Murrine canes, where he created an image of a clowns face running through the glass stick, like a stick of rock. Later that year, he was successful in gaining a place, and a bursary, to study with Richard Marquis at Northlands Creative Glass centre in Scotland.
Mike began his study of cane work as long ago as 1981 starting with the complexities of English 18th Century drinking glasses. He now feels, "I am possibly the first person to commercially produce this type of stemware since the Victorian era".
He has a piece in the Bergstrom Mahler Museum, which is a part of their permanent collection.
He has become proficient in both Venetian blown and French paperweight cane-making techniques, which he combines to produce a style of his own.
Mike continues to investigate and explore the relationship he shares with glass. He often tells collectors, "It takes about three lifetimes to master glass, as the more you know, the less you know".