Mark Matthews has become internationally recognised for his mastery of the glass sphere. Matthews began handling molten glass for aesthetic purposes in 1974 while studying with Henry Halem at Kent State University and received his MFA from Ohio University before working full time in glass. In 1985 Mark was invited to be the glass artist in residence at the Sauder Village in Archbold, Ohio, operating an independent business with one assistant. The sphere, with its minimal physicality, has become the one factor unifying Mark’s investigations of colour systems and radically diverse explorations in historical glass techniques. Mining 5,000 years of glass history as a rich source of inspiration, he creates everything from traditional swirls and to realistic interpretations of animal pelts and uses these elements to create larger sculptural pieces.