The artist

Christina Bonallack

Wellington Glass Artist

Christina Bonallack was born in England and moved to Wellington, New Zealand, in 2005 with her then Kiwi boyfriend,now husband. A nurse by profession, Christina began beading and discovered the fun of fusing glass. Making the garage her own workshop, Christina works to create vibrant landscapes inspired by the colours and rugged contours of the Wellington region.

She particularly likes using dichroic glass, a product courtesy of a NASA invention and now loved by jewellers. Fine layers of metal are sprayed onto glass sheets, creating an iridescent lustre, where colours appear to change depending on your view.

"I'm inspired by beautiful colours and the natural environment. I love the challenge and satisfaction of playing with colours and shapes, arranging and rearranging, so they look their best and complement each other.

"I believe that colour and the exquisite joy it can bring is too often missing from our lives...we just don't have the time to really look, we forget the beauty and peace that it can bring. It does brighten our lives.

"This is what it is about for me - capturing happiness and passing it forward."