“The integral nature of rhythm and motion is captured in Christine Cathie’s elegantly simple glass sculptures. Employing tapering edges and curvaceous silhouettes, Cathie essentially draws lines within space, exploiting the translucent nature of glass to establish a dialogue between light and shade, density and mass. Cathie combines rich colours with a smooth surface, building graceful ribbons and slender curves, and letting the light glide in.

“Christine Cathie’s cast lead crystal Ribbon also deals with movement and catches that moment in time when a dropped ribbon hits and starts to settle on the floor. Like a late 19^th century stop gap photograph by Edouard Muybridge, Cathie records the ribbon’s subtle twisting and allows us to see beauty in movement not normally observable in the human eye”. (1)

Cathie has been examining the possibilities of closed, irregular forms, using glass to outline volume and mass in space. This negative form becomes as much part of the works as the glass itself, which Cathie twists and curves to emphasise its fluidity. Using a combination of acid etching and a highly polished mirror finish, light is directed into and through the glass, bringing it to life. Cathie’s most recent O-void series sees the forms striving upwards, defying both gravity and the weight of their medium.

Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Christine Cathie trained as a graphic artist and subsequently developed a highly successful career in graphic design. Attracted by the challenge of working in three dimensions, Cathie began to explore glass as a creative medium.

A consecutive finalist in the Ranamok Glass Prize (Australia) since 2002, Cathie is an artist of international repute, exhibiting in Paris, New York, Denmark and Australia. In 2004 she was selected for the Southern Exposure exhibition at the prestigious Glasmuseet, Ebletoft, Denmark and in 2005 was included in the significant touring Glass Invitational NZ exhibition. In 2007 Cathie received the award for Creative Excellence in the Molly Morpeth Canaday 3D Awards and was runner-up in the Cavalier Bremworth Luminous Art of Glass Awards. She won the Supreme Award at the NZSAG Conference Member’s Exhibition (2012), following this up in 2015 by winning the Excellence in Cast Glass Prize. Her work is held in private, public and corporate collections both nationally and internationally.

1. Richard Perram, Ranamok Glass Prize 2006 Catalogue, 2006.