CANBERRA region glass artist Kirstie Rea is the winner of the inaugural Klaus Moje Glass Award.

Rea, a graduate of the School of Art Glass Workshop, was a student of the late Moje – one of his first. She has since forged a career both internationally and through her work in Queanbeyan in which she combines her glass technique with a vision of the natural world.

The new national award builds on the success of the Hindmarsh Prize which ran at the Canberra Glassworks from 2016 to 2018, recognising outstanding achievement in contemporary glass art and celebrating the work of artists whose practices are among the most innovative and influential in this medium.

The judging panel was made up of Natasha Bullock from the National Gallery of Australia, Eva Czernis-Ryl from the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences and Aimee Frodsham from Canberra Glassworks.

Klaus Moje was a legendary glass artist and teacher in Canberra who, through his practice, teaching and advocacy, changed the way Australians think about glass as an art form and Rea continues this tradition.

Rea’s work, “What Remains”, 2019, is exhibited alongside the 17 other shortlisted works at Thor’s Hammer, 10 Mildura Street, Griffith, 10am-4pm, Monday to Saturday, until October 12.