Stephen Glassborow is a sculptor who presents human figures in a unique way. They are, at the one time, classical and abstract. It is almost as if his figures have chosen their relationship with their environment after an initial struggle to retain their integrity.
“I attempt to bend the traditional attitudes of the figure, while still retaining my view of an aesthetic balance," he says. Born in Hammersmith in the UK, it was while studying Fine Arts at the Brighton College of Art that he realised he preferred the physicality and structure of sculpture to the discipline of painting. So began his journey with clay, developing the myriad of skills that are required to master sculpturing.
He travelled for four years exhibiting his work and releasing limited edition art deco and art nouveau figurines and lamps, both in the UK and in Australia. In 1983 he became a permanent resident of Australia.
For him, inspiration comes with a pose, an idea or a phrase and a context. In the beginning he develops his ideas on paper and experiments with the framework within which he can place his figures. He creates a scale drawing, from which he builds a clay original. By manipulating the figure in this way, he captures it in a blend of the real and the abstract. Once complete, a silicon rubber mould for the final piece is made, normally in bronze.
“I'm observing the clay as it changes the human form. I am fascinated with muscles in the physique," he says. He draws inspiration from Greco-Roman ruins, art deco forms and contemporary abstracts. Stephen regularly exhibits and has public and private pieces in many countries including the USA, Australia and the Pacific Region.
2020 and 2021 saw Stephen return to the medium that started hisartistic career 40 years ago; ceramics. After being unable to visit foundries to build his bronze sculptures during COVID restrictions, Stephen focused on building a collection of ceramic artworks.
"Producing a bronze is a protracted and complex process. By comparison, ceramics is a more direct and flexible medium to work in. As a result, one idea in clay has the potential to grow and develop into a number of versions, or a series. Each version is individually modelled, but is based on the original concept. For me, it has been an invigorating experience. Being able to develop ideas using this process will inevitably lead to new bronze editions in the future."
Education
Tyneside Foundation Course
Newcastle Upon Tyne, Sculpture B.A. Hons
Brighton College of Art B. A. Hons. Fine Art
Collections
AMP Perth, WA
Sedgwick Insurance, Melbourne
McDonald's Group, Sydney
McDonald's Group, Melbourne
KPMG Peat Marwick, Sydney
Remy Martin, Melbourne
Park Lane Hotel, Kuala Lumpur
Qantas, Melbourne
Walker Corporation, Sydney
State Chambers, Sydney
City of White Horse Regional Art Gallery, Melbourne
Randwick Council, Sydney
Hilton Hotel, Seoul, Korea
Sheraton on the Park, Sydney
Adelaide Hilton, Adelaide
ANA Group, Sydney
Frankston City Council, Victoria
Bank of New Zealand, Perth
Star City Casino, Sydney
Rochester Historical Society, Victoria
Manly Art Gallery & Museum, Sydney
McFarlane Burnett Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne
Shangri-La Hotels, Shanghai & Bangkok
St. George Bank, George Street, Sydney
Marist Boys College, Randwick, Sydney
Apollo Group, Singapore
Pasir Ris Centre, Singapore
Imperial Hotel, Kuala Lumpur
Crown Casino, Melbourne
Hilton, Shanghai, China
Hastings City Council, Victoria
Port Jackson Fine Art, Laguna Beach, USA
Citycorp, Sydney
Monarch Bay Development, Laguna Beach, USA
Walt Disney Corporation, Hong Kong
MGM Macao, China
Warragul City Council, Victoria (Lionel Rose Sculpture)
Frankston City Council, Victoria (Johnny Famechon Sculpture)
Richard Cohen Art Collection, Adelaide
Selected Exhibitions
2025 Winter Wine Weekend Group Exhibition
2024 Venice Biennale
2024 The Collector's Showcase, Manyung Gallery Malvern
2024 International Sculpture Day, Manyung Gallery Sorrento & Flinders
2023 The Collectors Canvas, Manyung Gallery Malvern
2022 Feminine Form, Manyung Gallery Flinders
2020 Focus on Fauna, Manyung Gallery Flinders
2020 Stephen Glassborow & Ronald John Neal, Manyung Gallery Flinders
2019 Cafmeyer Gallery, Belgium
2019 Fox Gallery, Melbourne
2019 Manyung Gallery, Melbourne
2019 Gallery One, Queensland
2018 Hi Horse, Manyung Gallery
2018 Linton and Kay Gallery, Perth
2018 Cooks Hill Gallery, Newcastle
2018 BMG Gallery, Adelaide
2018 Eumundi Gallery, Hong Kong
2018 Gallery One, Queensland
2017 Harvey Gallery, Mosman, NSW
2017 Caco Gallery, London
2017 Linton and Kay Gallery, Perth
2016 Caco Gallery, London
2016 BMG ART, Adelaide
2016 Gallery One, Queensland
2015 Linton and Kay Gallery, Perth
2015 Artnuvo Gallery, Queensland
2015 Gallery One, Gold Coast
2014 Linton and Kay Gallery, Perth
2014 Cooks Hill Gallery, Newcastle
2014 Gallery One, Gold Coast
2013 Linton and Kay Gallery, Perth
2013 Richard Martin Art, Sydney
2013 Gallery One, Gold Coast
2012 Cooks Hill Gallery, Newcastle
2012 Gallery One, Gold Coast
2012 Linton and Kay Gallery, Perth
2012 Red Hill Gallery, Brisbane
2012 BMG Art Gallery, Adelaide
2011 Richard Martin Gallery, Sydney
2011 Cooks Hill Gallery, Newcastle
2011 Redhill Gallery, Brisbane
2011 Linton and Kay Gallery, Perth
2011 Axia Modern Art, Melbourne
2010 BMGART, Adelaide
2010 Linton and Kay Gallery, Perth
2010 Wagner Gallery
2009 Makers Mark Gallery, Melbourne
2009 Gallery Perutz, UK
2009 Cooks Hill Gallery, NSW
2009 Art Nuvo Gallery, Queensland
2009 Red Hill Gallery, Queensland
2008 Gallery Perutz, UK
2008 Makers Mark Gallery, Melbourne
2008 Artnuvo, Buderim QLD
2008 Wagner Gallery
2008 Linton and Kay Gallery, Perth
2008 Cooks Hill Gallery, NSW
2008 Emporium Gallery, Brisbane
2007 Forest Gallery
2007 Cooks Hill Gallery, Newcastle
2007 Makers Mark Gallery, Melbourne
2007 Makers Mark Gallery, Sydney
2007 Manyung Gallery, Melbourne
2007 Red Hill Gallery, Brisbane
2007 Trevor Victor Harvey Gallery, Sydney
2007 Linton and Kay Gallery, Perth
2006 Makers Mark Gallery, Melbourne
2006 Gallery Perutz, Edinburgh, UK
2006 Ronald Coles Gallery, NSW
2006 TVH Gallery, Sydney
2006 Wagner Gallery, Sydney
2006 Manyung Gallery, Melbourne
2006 Cooks Hill Gallery, Newcastle
2006 Red Hill Gallery, Brisbane
2005 Perutz Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland
2005 Wagner Gallery, Sydney
2005 Cooks Hill Gallery, Newcastle
2005 Red Hill Gallery, Brisbane
2005 Gallery Perutz, London, England
2004 Manly Regional Gallery and Museum, Sydney
2004 Ronald Coles Gallery, Kenthurst
2004 Red Hill Gallery, Brisbane
2004 1000 Deg C Gallery, Sydney
2003 Cooks Hill Gallery, Newcastle
2003 Wagner Gallery, Sydney
2002 Cooks Hill Gallery, Newcastle
2002 Latitude Gallery, Boston, USA
2001 Cooks Hill Gallery, Newcastle
2001 Vanessa Wood Fine Art, Sydney
2000 Port Jackson Fine Art, Laguna Beach, California, USA
2000 Newcastle Solo Exhibition
2000 Cooks Hill Gallery, Newcastle
1999 Cooks Hill Gallery, Newcastle (Solo)
1999 North Shore Fine Art, Sydney (Solo)
1996 Jajuta Gallery, Singapore (Solo)
1995 Joint Sculpture Exhibition, Robin Gibson Gallery
1993 Eagle Hawke Gallery, Sydney
1993 The Australian Ballet Gallery, Melbourne
1986 State Theatre Shop (Permanent Exhibition), Victorian Arts Centre, Melbourne
1986 Graphic Illusions, Joint Exhibition
1985 Graphic Illusions, Joint Exhibition
1983 Profile Gallery, Joint Exhibition
1981 Profile Gallery, Joint Exhibition
1980 Artist in Residence, Albert Park School
1980 Profile Gallery, Joint Exhibition
1979 Profile Gallery, Joint Exhibition
1978 Commonwealth Travelling Exhibition, Commonwealth Buildings, London, UK
Publications
1987 - Melburnian Magazine, June
1987 - Home Beautiful Magazine, June
1987 - Melbourne Arts Magazine, November
1988 - Craft Arts Magazine, February
1988 - The Herald Newspaper, Melbourne, February
1989 - House and Garden Magazine, February
1989 - The Age Magazine, Melbourne, April
1991 - Corporate Office and Design, May
1993 - The Age, Melbourne, October
1994 - Dance Australia, June
1994 - The Age, Melbourne, April
1994 - Herald Sun, Melbourne
1994 - Sydney Morning Herald
1994 - The Australian
1995 - Craft Arts International Magazine Issue 34, July
1999 - Northern Beach Journal, Issue 4, August
2002 - Belle Magazine
2005 - The Age, The Independent, Sydney Morning Herald
2010 - Herald Sun, The Age, The Australian
2011 - Australian Art Review, The Age, The Australian, Sydney Morning Herald