Dan Bowran ventured into the world of glass while living in London in the early 2000’s. He has been awarded various accolades for his glasswork and participated internationally in exhibitions, residencies and masterclasses in Europe, UK, USA and Australia.
Graduating from the Royal College of Art, 2014, Dan Bowran continued working as a glass artist, technician and teacher in London before moving back to Melbourne to teach and run the glass studios at Monash University.
Along with many other projects, Dan Bowran has been Artist in Residence at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (Denmark) and University of Wolverhampton (UK), where he continued to create works that merge kilnforming, coldworking and mouldmaking, techniques in the hotshop.
Some reoccurring themes can be seen in Dan Bowran’s works. This includes an interest in the influence and evolution of materials in our daily lives, along with a nod of gratitude to prehistoric ingenuity.
Glass is everywhere. It travels through time, cultures and different ways of perceiving the world. It is literally the material that provided the cutting edge for human evolution to emerge beyond the Stone Age. Autonomous and progressive, often crossing boundaries in physics, chemistry, and philosophy.
Glass is a fascinating medium to work with and for over two decades I find myself continually studying it and always discovering something new.
The Eastend of London is where my passion for glass began. Night classes developed into short courses and before long, full time studies in Melbourne led to an Honours Degree majoring in Glass. Working with glass is like diving into a clear deep pool full of historic wisdom and contemporary thought. A few years later, I graduated with a Master’s Degree from the prestigious Royal College of Art in London. A fantastic institute which ushered the way for international masterclasses, residencies, further research, lecturing, mentoring, and running educational glass studios in London and Melbourne.
Usually I work in a project-based format, exploring experimental processes which are expanded and refined into a series of artworks. A lot of my work gravitates around the evolution of processes and associated technologies. The final glass pieces often combine a variety of glassmaking materials and techniques, both ancient and avant-garde.
2021: Certificate 4 Leadlight, Stained Glass & Glazing – Melbourne Polytechnic (Melbourne)
2020: Certificate 3 Leadlight, Stained Glass & Glazing – Melbourne Polytechnic (Melbourne)
2012 – 2014: Master of Arts – Royal College of Art (London)
2008 – 2011: Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) Glass – Monash University (Melbourne)
2006 – 2007: Kiln Formed Glass – The Art Academy (London)
2005 – 2007: Stained Glass – Bethnal Green Learning Centre, London
Kiln Formed Glass, The Art Academy (London)
2004 – 2007: Stained Glass – Bethnal Green Learning Centre (London)
1998: Diploma: Audio Engineering – Audio Visual College (Melbourne)
1997: Diploma: Live Sound & Stage Lighting – Audio Visual College (Melbourne)
1990 – 1993: Bachelor of Arts (Double Degree) – Philosophy & Cinema Studies, LaTrobe University (Melbourne)
2021 Award: Overall Excellence & Sharing of Knowledge & Support – Melbourne Polytechnic (Melbourne)
2015 Bursary: Northlands Creative Glass Scotland – Enhanced Certificate for Teaching (United Kingdom)
2014 Scholarship: Corning Museum of Glass – New York State
Commission, Southbank Music Competition, Royal Overseas League, London
Bursary, West Dean College (United Kingdom)
2013 Student Grant: Northlands Creative Glass (Scotland)
2012 Scholarship: Pilchuck Glass School (Seattle
2011 Fresh: State Selection – Craft Victoria, Melbourne National Student Art Glass Prize (NSW)
2010: Letter of Commendation – Faculty of Art & Design Board of Examiners, Monash University (Melbourne), D.W. Rogers Award. Monash University (Melbourne), Yarra Art Award Australian Fine Arts & Decorative Society (Melbourne), Kirra Gallery Award (Melbourne), Axcess Glass Award (Melbourne)
2009: Study Abroad Grant: Monash University (Melbourne)
2008: Blackwood Crystal Glass Prize (Melbourne)
2022
• Villa Alba Museum (Melbourne)
• Nation Emerging Art Prize. ACB Selects. Michael Reid Gallery (International)
• Craft Victoria & Metro Tunnel (Melbourne)
2021
• Artist Presentation. Bromley & Co (Melbourne)
• Designers on your Doorstep. Linden Gallery (Melbourne)
• Illuminance. GLAAS Gallery & National Gallery of Victoria (Melbourne)
• Deserted Shores. Magenta Gallery (Copenhagen)
• Glass Evolution. GLAAS Gallery (Melbourne)
2020
• Maker in Residence. Craft Victoria (Melbourne)
• Create Day. International Broadcast
2019
• Expanding the Bubble. Yoga Tree (Melbourne)
• Fringe Festival (Melbourne)
2018
• Artefacts. National Gallery of Victoria & Design Week (Melbourne)
2017
• Craft Victoria & Starward Whisky (Melbourne)
• Fringe Festival (Melbourne)
• Craft Victoria Awards (Melbourne)
• International Glass Art Biennial (Brussels)
• British Glass Biennale. Contemporary Glass Society (UK)
2016
• Artist in Residence Exhibition. Wolverhampton Art Gallery (UK)
• International Glass Art Biennial (Brussels)
• CGP Exhibition (London)
• These walls must fall. Geddes Gallery (London)
2015
• British Glass Biennale (UK)
• International Glass Art Biennial (Belgium)
• Glass Excellence. Prague Gallery of Czech Glass (Prague)
• Showcase. National Glass Centre (Sunderland)
• Young Masters. London Glassblowing (London)
• Six months ongoing. Milton Gallery (London)
2014
• Stanislav Lebinsky Awards. Dancing House (Prague)
• International Glass Art Biennial (Brussels)
• CGP Gallery (London)
• Glasshaus IX (London)
• Show RCA. Royal College of Art (London)
• Ceramic Art London. Royal College of Art (London)
• Work In Progress. Royal College of Art (London)
• Taking Shape. Contemporary Glass Society (UK)
2013
• Anima. Deptford Chapel (London)
• Progression. South Kensington (London)
• Unknowns with Richard Slee. Northlands Creative Glass (Scotland)
• Ceramic Art London. Royal College of Art (London)
• Work In Progress. Royal College of Art (London)
2012
• Exploration 12. Flinders Lane Gallery (Melbourne)
• National Student Art Glass Prize. National Art Glass Gallery (Australia)
2011
• Fresh: Craft Victoria (Melbourne)
• Emergence: Flinders Lane Gallery (Melbourne)
• Graduation Exhibition: Monash University (Melbourne)
• Momentum: Kirra Gallery (Melbourne)
• Media Specific: Monash University (Melbourne)
2010
• Graduation Exhibition: Monash University (Melbourne)
• Tyro: Glass Plus Gallery (Melbourne)
• Between Bodies: with Stelarc & Nina Sellars (Prato, Italy)
2009
• Impossible Exchange: Frieze Art Fair (London)
• Roger That: Fine Art Department. Monash University (Melbourne)
2008
• Open Day: Fine Art Department. Monash University (Melbourne)
2006
• Open Day: The Art Academy (London)
Public
Pražská Galerie českého Skla / Prague Gallery of Czech Glass – Czech Republic
Kunststichnting Perspektief VZW – Belgium
University of Wolverhampton – UK
Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts – Denmark
Private
UK, Australia, Holland, USA, Denmark, Germany, France.
2023
• Glass Teaching Associate: Monash University (Melbourne)
• Glass Teacher: Melbourne Polytechnic (Melbourne)
• Glass Technician: Melbourne Polytechnic (Melbourne)
2022
• Glass Teaching Associate: Monash University (Melbourne)
• Glass Teaching Assistant: Melbourne Polytechnic (Melbourne)
• Glass Technician: Melbourne Polytechnic (Melbourne)
2021
• Glass Teaching Associate: Monash University (Melbourne)
• Glass Technician: Melbourne Polytechnic (Melbourne)
2020
• Maker in Residence: Contemporary Craft. Craft Victoria (Melbourne)
2019
• Glass Teaching Associate: Monash University (Melbourne)
• Glass Technician: Monash University (Melbourne)
2018
• Artist in Residence: Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (Denmark)
• Glass Teaching Associate: Monash University (Melbourne)
• Glass Technician: Monash University (Melbourne)
2017
• Glass Technician: Monash University (Melbourne)
• Technical Glass Consultant: Eye to Eye (UK)
2016
• Artist in Residence: Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (Denmark)
• Masterclass: Vladimir Klein (Czech Republic)
• Glass Lecturer: Westminster Adult Education Services (London)
• Glass Technician: Westminster Adult Education Services (London)
• Audiovisual Technician: Royal College of Art (London)
• Teachers Assistant: Max Jacquard (London)
2015
• Artist in Residence: Wolverhampton University (UK)
• Glass Lecturer: Westminster Adult Education Services (London)
• Glass Technician: Westminster Adult Education Services (London)
• Audiovisual Technician: Royal College of Art (London)
• Commission: Open Data Institute. Philpott Designs & Open Data Institute Awards (London)
• Masterclass: Northlands Creative Glass. Maria Bang Espersen & Max Syron (Scotland)
• Visiting Lecturer: Havering College (London)
• Masterclass: Keith Cummings & Michael Brennand-Wood (UK)
• Masterclass: Max Jacquard (London)
2014
• Masterclass: Corning Museum of Glass. Martin Rosol & Pavel Novak (New York State)
• Audiovisual Technician: Royal College of Art (London)
• Workshop Instructor: Royal College of Art (London)
• Visiting Lecturer: Havering College (London)
• Masterclass: West Dean College. Katharine Coleman (UK)
2013
• Collaboration: Footwear Design with Iva Minkova (London)
• Masterclass: Northlands Creative Glass. Richard Slee & James Maskrey (Scotland)
• Audiovisual Technician: Royal College of Art (London)
2012
• Masterclass: Pilchuck Glass School. Gyorgy Gaspar & Zsuzsanna Korodi (Seattle)
• Audiovisual Technician: Royal College of Art (London)
2011
• Residency: Canberra Glassworks (Canberra)
• Audiovisual Technician (Melbourne)
2009
• Hotshop Assistant: Vice Chancellor Commission. Melbourne Museum (Melbourne)
• Hotshop Assistant: (Melbourne)
• Stained Glass Assistant: (London)
• Audiovisual Technician: (Melbourne)
2008
• Hotshop Assistant: (Melbourne)
• Audiovisual Technician: (Melbourne)
2020
• ABC-TV. The Mix (Australia)
• Create Day. Live Broadcast (International)
• Film. by Mark Newbound. Glass collaboration with Marcus Dillon (International)
• Meet the Makers. Craft Victoria (Melbourne)
2018
• Artifacts exhibitions catalogue (Melbourne)
• Craft Council (UK)
2017
• His Glassworks Catalogue. p25 (International)
2016
• Art Glass Today 2: Schiffer Books. pp.34-35 (International)
• Contemporary Glass Society – Glass Network. Feature article. p.9 Sept. (UK)
2015
• Craft Arts International: Magazine edition 94. Feature article (International)
• Metal (Fashion) Magazine. Photographer: Nicole Maria Winkler (London)
2014
• Stanislav Lebinsky Awards Catalogue. Dancing House (Prague)
• Corner Magazine. Feature article. Tipped for the Top (UK)
• Royal Overseas League – Annual Music Award Catalogue (London)
2013
• i-D Magazine (March) Fashion article (UK)
2012
• National Student Art Glass Prize. Catalogue (NSW)
• Australian Art Collector. edition 60. April – June p.30 (International)
2011
• Graduation Exhibition: Catalogue. Monash University (Melbourne)
• Media Specific: Catalogue. Monash University (Melbourne)
2010
• Graduation Exhibition: Catalogue. Monash University (Melbourne)
2007
• Saatchi Online Gallery. Saatchi Gallery (UK)
Royal College of Art. London
Craft Victoria. Australia
GLAAS.Inc. Australia
Contemporary Glass Society. UK
Craft Council. UK
