Our team
Nick Doran-Adams
Born and raised in Ballarat, Nick Doran Adams was immersed in the world of art from a young age. His journey into glass began at Ballarat Grammar School, where he was introduced to the medium and immediately captivated by its unique blend of strength and fragility. Nick’s fascination with glass led him to pursue a Bachelor of Visual Art, majoring in glass at the School of Art, Australian National University, Canberra.
During his honours year in 2014, Nick was awarded the prestigious “Emerging Artist Support Scheme” residency at Canberra Glassworks. This opportunity allowed him to collaborate with a diverse range of artists, both local and international, and refine his skills across various glass techniques, from kiln forming to glass blowing.
In 2022, Nick brought his extensive experience and passion to Melbourne, joining Ruth Allen’s studio in Coburg. Here, he continues to explore his love for glass, appreciating its versatility and the dramatic transformation it undergoes from molten to solid. For Nick, working with glass is like a dance, where each movement and technique creates something beautifully unique.
Looking ahead, Nick dreams of creating a nostalgic installation piece inspired by the retro arcade settings of his childhood. He envisions using light and color to evoke a sense of nostalgia and playfulness, reflecting his ongoing love for the transformative power of glass.
Juniper Maffescioni
Juniper Maffescioni is an innovative glass artist and Honours graduate from the ANU SOA&D Glass Workshop in Canberra. Based in Melbourne, her work explores the interplay between vision, perception, colour, and light through a post-digital lens.
Juniper's journey into glass began as a teenager when her parents gifted her a workshop experience for her 18th birthday. The moment she first touched molten glass, she knew it was her true calling. The way glass transforms—from a molten, honey-like substance to a solid form—is what keeps her fascinated. She describes it as a symbiotic relationship; glass is both a material and a partner in creativity, evolving with every touch.
Her practice is a blend of traditional techniques and modern technology. During the pandemic, Juniper turned to digital tools to expand her conceptual work, self-teaching software to animate and render colour experiences. This resulted in a body of animated works that meld digital and physical realms, reflecting her unique approach to colour and perception.
In her current work, Juniper delves into ancient glass techniques and Swedish pattern-making methods. She is passionate about reviving lost forms and exploring the intricate bond between glass and air bubbles for new forms of expression. Her creations offer viewers a fresh perspective on colour, turning subjective experiences into tangible art.
Juniper's art invites you to see the world through her eyes—where colour, light, and glass converge to challenge and expand our understanding of perception.
Keely Varmalis
Keely Varmalis is an interdisciplinary artist based in Naarm/Melbourne, charging energy through every piece she creates. Her practice is continuously moving, shifting and transforming, engaging with flux and formlessness. Keely uses methodologies of fluidity and collapse in a bodily exchange with the world. She works loosely with malleable materials: steel and copper are softly twisted and formed by the body, glass is broken and fused back together. The moment is continuous.
Keely delved into the medium of glass as a response to personal grief, finding in glass an endless vessel for emotion. What draws her to glass is its incredible versatility—the way it shifts from molten liquid to solid, reflecting vulnerability and strength. It is a medium that both shapes and is shaped by its interactions, leaving and receiving imprints with each touch.
Holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Honours) from the Victorian College of the Arts, Keely has exhibited her sculptural installations at various esteemed galleries including West Space, Daine Singer, and the Fiona and Sidney Myer Gallery. Her solo show, The Nameless Waters, was featured at Library at the Dock in 2023. Keely's performance art also resonates deeply, with recent works shown at Project8 Gallery and Station Gallery. Her work is permanently displayed at the Wilin Centre, University of Melbourne, thanks to the Fan the Flames Scholarship she received in 2022.
In the future, Keely is eager to explore the bond between copper and glass, delving deeper into their interplay to create new forms and expressions in her art.