Steph Harper is an American glass artist specializing in kilnformed work. In 2021, she completed her MA in Glass w/Distinction at the University for the Creative Arts in Farnham, UK where she then served as Artist in Residence until 2022 when she moved back to California. Her previous glass training was self-led with multiple courses and master-classes amassed throughout her time living in many different places all over the world. She has worked as an independent studio artist for over 15 years. Steph’s undergraduate degree is in Electrical Engineering (High Honors) from the Illinois Institute of Technology and she has extensive military training and experience which she infuses into her work. Steph’s ability to incorporate disparate life experiences and understandings into her creative practice makes her approach to her craft unique and intriguing.
Steph uses the sky as her subject matter and the inspiration for her current body of work is rooted in her childhood growing up on the shores of Lake Michigan in the Midwestern United States juxtaposed against her experiences in the US Air Force as an Airborne Battle Manager. As a military officer, she served in Afghanistan directly following the attacks of September 11th, 2001 where she earned three Air Medals for her time in combat. These experiences are inextricably woven throughout her work and although she says that her work is not necessarily about her time in the military, it’s undeniable that those influences are in everything that she makes.
Steph is passionate about asking questions related to the constructs that we place around our minds. She delves into the ethereal as she manipulates light and works with water, air and motion to create references to the sky and to cloud formations that speak to the fleeting nature of our thoughts and experiences.
Steph uses the sky as her subject matter and the inspiration for her current body of work is rooted in her childhood growing up on the shores of Lake Michigan in the Midwestern United States juxtaposed against her experiences in the US Air Force as an Airborne Battle Manager. As a military officer, she served in Afghanistan directly following the attacks of September 11th, 2001 where she earned three Air Medals for her time in combat. These experiences are inextricably woven throughout her work and although she says that her work is not necessarily about her time in the military, it’s undeniable that those influences are in everything that she makes.
Steph is passionate about asking questions related to the constructs that we place around our minds. She delves into the ethereal as she manipulates light and works with water, air and motion to create references to the sky and to cloud formations that speak to the fleeting nature of our thoughts and experiences.
