Contributing Artists

Kenny Kay

Exhibition Statement as Preserved in the SUGS/SITE Archives:

Glass is an integral part of our everyday lives, but seldom do we appreciate the effort it takes for it to exist…Glass is a medium shaped not only by heat, but by collaboration. Even the simplest object requires multiple hands, precise timing, and shared trust. This exhibition emerges from that collective process, highlighting the labor and interdependence often hidden behind glass’s everyday functionality.

 

This exhibition seeks to shift how audiences engage with glass. Rather than reinforcing distance and fragility, I invite touch, play, and curiosity. Through interaction, viewers can reconsider their relationship to the material. I challenge the assumption that glass must remain distant and untouchable. This work invites a more intimate, curious engagement, positioning glass as resilient, dynamic, and open to transformation.

 

 

HANDLE WITH CARE is composed of pieces that fall outside of the conventional standards of perfection. Each piece has been created by a team member at Ignite Glass Studios, a glassblowing studio located in Chicago’s West Loop that is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of the medium. Cracks, distortions, and abandoned forms are evidence of experimentation and risk. Rather than viewing these works as failures, I approach them as unresolved moments with ongoing potential.

 

Ultimately, HANDLE WITH CARE seeks to dismantle conventional perceptions of glass by celebrating its resilience, its collaborative nature, and its capacity for transformation. Through both finished works and reclaimed pieces, this exhibition challenges the idea that imperfection does not diminish value, but rather opens new pathways for interpretation, interaction, and appreciation.