Rebecca Heap
Over the last decade my glass adventures have taken me just about as far away from home as is possible. I was initially educated at Wanganui Ucol and then in my final year I won a scholarship to study Glass Design for a semester at Pukeberg Design School, Kalmar University Sweden. Doors opened and I ended up staying in Sweden for five years learning from some of the best glassblowers in the world. I had the privilege of an apprenticeship followed by study at the Orrefors Glass School and later employment there.
Now I have returned to my roots and am combining the influences from living in our young island nation with the skills and traditions I acquired during my time in Scandinavia, where they have been blowing glass since long before the Europeans first arrived in New Zealand.