Claudia Borella (b 1971) is an internationally acclaimed, kiln-formed glass artist with a reputation for creating both sculptural and wall artworks with a focus on the subtleties of colour, opacity, pattern and textural form.

Originally trained as an Industrial Designer, Claudia Borella completed her education across further institutions in the early 1990’s. These included the University of Canberra and European Institute of Design in Milan. She later specialised in Fine Arts at the internationally renowned Australian National University Glass Department.

Claudia graduated with First Class Honours from the Canberra School of Art in 1995 and, with a growing international reputation has garnered numerous accolades including the Kyhoei Fujita Award, Denmark 1997; Gold Medal and Bavarian State Prize at Talente, Munich 1998; and the David Thomas Award at the Dowse Museum in New Zealand in 2003.

Invited to teach glass full-time in New Zealand in 2001, Borella continues to base herself from a studio in the North Island of the country. Covid not-withstanding, her practice allows her to both travel around the world and host artists in New Zealand.

Beginning in 2007, Claudia Borella Glass Design became the distributor and Bullseye kiln-glass resource center preferred partner in New Zealand. This led to the introduction of MAP, a Master Artist Program providing access education under the guidance of international master artists using Bullseye Glass.

Since 2012, Borella has been recognised for her contribution to art and design and achievements in her field, firstly as a finalist in the University of Canberra Alumni Awards. Subsequently she was honoured with an Adjunct Professorial title through the same University in Australia’s capital.​

With support from Creative New Zealand, in 2020, Claudia Borella Glass Design  expanded to an eCommerce platform, incorporating the international brand into a new national online retail centre: Bullseye Glass New Zealand.

Intensive 5-10 day courses were developed to allow individuals to experience and explore various techniques using Bullseye Glass from her studio and around New Zealand. Claudia also offers courses at private studios by special appointment.

With a long standing career working in kiln-formed Bullseye Glass, her works are represented in many international collections including the Australian National Gallery, Australia; Toyama Institute of Glass Art, Japan; the Glass Furnace in Istanbul, Turkey; as well as many private collections including that of Sir Elton John.

Claudia’s artworks are held by several international dealer galleries and private commissions are also invited.

For more information on commissions and artwork get in touch with Claudia through her contact page.

1971
Born Canberra

1993
Bachelor of Industrial Design, University of Canberra Study at European Institute of Design, Milan, Italy

1994
Technical Assistant to Yumiko Noda, visiting Japanese glass artist

1995
Bachelor of Fine Arts (1st Class Honours) in Glass, Canberra School of Art, ANU

1996-98
Technical Assistant, Art handling & installation, Canberra School of Art Gallery Technical Assistant, Glass Workshop, Canberra School of Art

1998
Residency, Bullseye Glass Resource Centre, Portland, Oregon, USA

1999
Exhibition Project Manager, Ausglass Conference 99, Wagga Regional Gallery, NSW Exhibition Consultant, Chihuly: Masterworks in Glass, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

2000
Guest instructor and speaker, Wanganui Polytechnic Summer School Workshop and Conference, New Zealand

2001
Lecturer, Glass Workshop, Wanganui Polytechnic, New Zealand

2003
Curator, Form and Surface – Emerging Australian Glass, Anna Bibby Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand

2002-4
Secretary of New Zealand Society of Artists in Glass

2006
Guest instructor, Canberra Institute of the Arts, ANU, Canberra Guest instructor, Toyama City Institute of Glass Art, Toyama, Japan

2007
Director, Claudia Borella Glass Design Ltd.

2010
Guest Instructor, Creative Glass, Zurich, Switzerland and Kent, United Kingdom Guest Instructor, Glass Furnace, Istanbul, Turkey

2011
President of the New Zealand Society of Artists in Glass

2012
Honorary Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Canberra, Australia

1995 –
Independent glass artist exhibiting on an international level

2019
Private Commission, Singapore
Glassworks, Ital Reding Hofstatt, Schwyz, Switzerland
Co-ordinator of Morgan Van Madison Masterclass (USA)

2018
Commission for Head of State architectural project, Abu Dhabi
Co-ordinator of Masterclass by visiting artist Saman Kalantari, (Iran/Italy)
2017 Guest instructor at Corning Studios, Corning New York, USA
Independent self funded research, Murano, Italy
Co-ordinator of Masterclass by visiting artist Silvia Levenson, (Italy)

2016
Co-ordinator of Masterclass by visiting artist Kirstie Rea (Australia)
Sponsor of MAP Scholarship, NZSAG Conference
Co-ordinator of Masterclass Dr Gerry King (Australia)

2015
Co-ordinator of Masterclass Denise Pepper (Australia)
Co-ordinator of Masterclass Catherine Newell (USA)

2014
Co-ordinator of Masterclass Richard Parrish Masterclass
Sponsor of MAP Scholarship, NZSAG Conference

2012-14
Advisory working group new Bachelor of Design and Art (BDA)
Wanganui School of Design commencing March 2015

2013
Co-ordinator of Masterclass, Dr Gerry King (Australia)

2010-12
President, New Zealand Society of Artists in Glass, NZSAGCo-ordinator, ‘Generate’ 2012 National NZSAG Glass Conference, Wanganui

2012
Co-ordinator of Masterclass, Shin-ichi and Kimiake Higuchi (Japan) sponsored by NZJEP

2011
Guest Instructor, Creative Glass, Zurich, Switzerland and Kent, UK
Guest Instructor, Glass Furnace, Istanbul, Turkey

2008
Organising Sub Committee, NZSAG Conference 2008 – ‘Outside the Square’, Wanganui, NZ
Bullseye Trade Fair stand, War Memorial Hall, Wanganui, NZ
Co-ordinator of Masterclass Emma Varga, (Australia)

2007-
Director, Claudia Borella Glass Design Ltd. incorporating NZ distributorship for Bullseye Glass, USA
Master Artist Program, MAP, New Zealand.
Co-ordinator of Masterclass Jonathan Baskett (Australia)

2006
Guest Instructor, Toyama Institute of Glass Art, Toyama, Japan
Guest Instructor, Summer School Programme, Canberra Institute of the Arts,
Australian National University, Australia

2003
Curator, Form and Surface – Emerging Australian Glass, Anna Bibby Gallery, Auckland, NZ

2002-4
Secretary for New Zealand Society of Artists in Glass, NZSAG

2001-4
Appointed Lecturer, Glass & Design Production, Wanganui Polytechnic/UCOL, New Zealand

2000
Guest Instructor and Speaker, Wanganui Polytechnic Summer School and Conference, New Zealand

1999
Exhibition Consultant, Chihuly: Masterworks in Glass, National Gallery of Australia, Australia
Exhibition Project Manager, Ausglass Conference 1999, Wagga Art Gallery, Australia

1998
Artist Exchange, Bullseye Glass Company, Portland, Oregon, USA

1997
Technical Assistant for Latitudes II Workshop, Canberra School of Art,
The Australian National University, Australia

1996
Technical Assistant for Working Methods – Susan Cohn, Silversmith, Canberra School of Art, Australia

1996-98
Technical Assistant at the Canberra School of Art Art Handling & Installation, Canberra, Australia

1996
Technical Assistant at the Canberra School of Art Glass Workshop, Australia

1994
Technical Assistant to Yumiko Noda, visiting artist, Canberra School of Art Glass Workshop, Australia

Solo Exhibitions

2012
Profile: Claudia Borella, solo exhibition, Quay Gallery, Whanganui, New Zealand

2010
A New Zealand Perspective – Claudia Borella, Milford Galleries, Queenstown, New Zealand

2008
Land of the Long White Cloud, Beaver Galleries, Canberra

2006
A Passage from New Zealand, Bullseye Connection Gallery, Portland, USA

Selected Group Exhibitions

2020
Luminous – Group exhibition, AVID Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand.

2019
Klaus Moje Award Exhibition, Thor’s Hammer, Canberra, Australia.
Verarte Invitational Exhibition 2019 at Ital Reding Hofstatt, Schwyz, Switzerland.
Fusion, Avid Gallery Wellington, New Zealand.

2017
Recent Acquisitions 2016, Ernsting Stiftung Museum, Coesfeld-Lett, Germany

2016
Pacific Light, Waiheke Art Gallery, Waiheke Island, New Zealand
Ornament, International invitational exhibition, Glasmuseet, Denmark
The Landscape Show, The Vivian Gallery Matakana, New Zealand

2014
Hsinchu City International Glass Art Festival, Hsinchu City Glass Museum, Taiwan
Sarjeant Gallery Annual Art Review, Sarjeant Gallery, Whanganui, New Zealand

2013
Snapshot – National Glass Survey Exhibition, Quay Gallery, Sarjeant Gallery, Whanganui, New Zealand
14th Annual Glass Now Auction, National Liberty Museum, Philadelphia, USA
Moment, Avid Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand
Polished, Gallery Thirty Three, Wanaka, New Zealand
Blown Away with Glass, Percy Thompson Gallery, Stratford, New Zealand
Artist Open Studio – Starting Point Exhibition, Whanganui, New Zealand

2012
Parting Darkness, Dowse Museum, Lower Hutt, Wellington, New Zealand
Chosen, Milford Galleries, Queenstown, New Zealand
Summer Show, Milford Galleries Dunedin, New Zealand

2011
SOFA WEST, Santa Fe, USA (Bullseye Gallery)
The Royal Queenstown Easter Show, Milford Galleries, Queenstown, New Zealand
Wanganui Open Artist Studio, Claudia Borella Glass Design Studio, Whanganui, New Zealand
Wanganui Glass – A Working Process, Quay Gallery, Wanganui, New Zealand

2010
Art of Gift – Gift of Art, Koru Contemporary Art, Aberdeen, Hong Kong
Wanganui Glass – A Working Process, Quay Gallery, Wanganui, New Zealand
Parliament Exhibition, Wanganui Artist in Residence, Bowen House, Wellington, New Zealand
Solstice, Avid Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand
Koru Spring Show, Koru HK Contemporary Art, Aberdeen, Hong Kong
Northern Exposure: Glass and Ceramics, Arthouse, Christchurch, New Zealand
Summer Show, Milford Galleries, Queenstown, New Zealand

2009
Looking Glass, Pataka Museum of Arts and Culture, Porirua City, New Zealand
Glass 09, Milford Galleries, Queenstown, New Zealand Arts Singapore 2009 (Koru HK Contemporary Art Gallery)
Glass Artists via New York, Compendium Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand SOFA 09, New York, USA (Compendium Gallery)
Masterworks 09, Milford Galleries, Queenstown, New Zealand
Wellington to New York, Avid Gallery, Wellington, New Zealand
Australian Contemporary Art 2009, The Rotunda, Hong Kong

2008
Arts Singapore 2008 (Koru HK Contemporary Art Gallery)
Succession, Bullseye Gallery, Portland, USA
Singular Forms, Prism Contemporary Glass, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Masterworks, Milford Galleries, Queenstown, New Zealand
Art Singapour, Koru Contempory Art, Hong Kong
Glass 08, Milford Galleries, Queenstown, New Zealand
Miniatures, Workshop Bilk, Queanbeyan, NSW

2007
Masters of Glass, Sabbia Gallery, Sydney Collect, V & A Museum, London, UK (Bullseye Gallery)
Changing Views, Koru Contemporary Art, Hong Kong
Third Anniversary Invitational, Prism Contemporary Glass, Chicago, Illinois, USA
GLASSWeekend ‘07 at Wheaton Arts, Millville, USA
SOFA 07, Chicago, USA
Select, Form Gallery, Christchurch, New Zealand

2006
Arts Singapore 2006 (Koru HK Contemporary Art Gallery)
Masterworks, Milford Galleries, Queenstown, New Zealand
Art and About, Hing Wai Centre, Hong Kong (Koru HK Contemporary Art Gallery)
Collect, V&A Museum, London, UK (Bullseye Gallery)
Group Glass, Anna Bibby Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand

2005
20/20: Twenty Artists/Twenty Years, Bullseye Gallery, Portland, USA
New Zealand Glass Invitational Travelling Exhibition, Milford Galleries, Dunedin, New Zealand
Auckland Museum, Canterbury Museum, Pataka Museum of Arts and Cultures, Porirua City, New Zealand
Canberra Glass 2005, Beaver Galleries, Canberra

2004
Quartet, Axia Modern Art, Melbourne
On the Edge – Glass from the Pacific Rim, Chappell Gallery, New York, USA
New Zealand Glass in Taipei, Page One, Koru Gallery, Taipei, Taiwan
A Creative Life, Dowse Museum, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
New Works by Gallery Artists, Bullseye Glass Connection, Portland, USA

2002
Crossroads: Australian/New Zealand, Chappell Galleries, Boston, USA
Red, Black, White, Anna Bibby Gallery, Auckland, New Zealand
SOFA 02, Boston, USA (Chappell Galleries)
Dialogue – Stephen Procter & Friends, Quadrivium, Sydney
Facets of Australian Glass, Leo Kaplan Modern, New York, USA
Cross Currents Members Exhibition, Society of Glass Artists, Wanganui, New Zealand

2001
Transparent Things, Wagga Wagga Regional Art Gallery, NSW, Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery, NSW, Geelong City Art Gallery, Vic, Geralton Regional Art Gallery, WA and Bunbury Regional Art Gallery, WA
Glass Lovers Tour, Beaver Galleries, ACT
Transitions, Pataka Blue Pacific Gallery, Poriura City, New Zealand
Glass Art in Australia, Quadrivium, Sydney
On Line, Bullseye Gallery, Portland, USA
Lust”, Quadrivium, Sydney
Australian Glass – The Cutting Edge, Axia Modern Art, Melbourne

2000
Giles Bettison, Jessica Loughlin and Claudia Borella, Sanske Gallery, Zurich, Switzerland
At the Edge, Australian Glass Art, Brisbane City Gallery; Object Gallery, Sydney; Galerie Handwerk, Munich, Germany
Fusion : Contemporary Glass, Axia Modern Art, Melbourne
Strength to Strength, Craft ACT, Canberra
Domestic Design, Craft ACT, Canberra
Australian Glass 2000, Masterworks Gallery, New Zealand
Canberra Glass 2000, Beaver Galleries, Canberra

1999
Ausglass Members Show, Wagga Wagga Art Gallery (National Art Glass Collection), NSW
Vitreous II, Craft Queensland Gallery, Brisbane
Glass Art Society International Expo 2, Tampa, USA SOFA 99, The Bullseye Connection, New York, USA
Giles Bettison, Claudia Borella and Jessica Loughlin, Sanske Gallery, Zurich, Switzerland
1999 RFC Glass Prize, touring exhibition, Sydney; Perth; Brisbane; Canberra; Wagga Wagga, NSW
Canberra Glass 1999, Beaver Galleries, Canberra SOFA 99, Chicago, USA (Bullseye Gallery)
Australians in Glass, Noufoux, Switzerland

1998
SOFA 98, Chicago, USA (Bullseye Gallery)
Talente 98, Munich, Germany
E-Merge, touring exhibition: South Australia; Perth; Canberra
International Young Artists in Glass, Bullseye Resource Centre, Portland, USA
6th Australian Contemporary Art Fair, Melbourne (Beaver Galleries)

1997
Canberra Glass, Beaver Galleries, Canberra
Young Glass ‘97, Ebeltoft, Denmark
Glass in Canberra, Link Gallery, Canberra Theatre Centre Gallery L, Hamburg, Germany (with Lienors Allen)

1996
Variety, Glass Artists Gallery, Sydney
Venezia Aperto Vetro, Museo Vetrario, Murano, Italy
Objects of Desire, Sydney RFC Glass Prize Touring Exhibition, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney; Glass Artists’ Gallery, Sydney; Art Gallery of Western Australia, Perth; Craft Victoria, Melbourne
Canberra Glass, Australian Embassy, Washington DC; SOFA Exposition, Chicago, USA (Beaver Galleries)
TAT2, Canberra School of Art Gallery, Canberra

1995
Handle like Eggs, Beaver Galleries, Canberra
Finish, Graduate Exhibition, Canberra School of Art Gallery Ausglass Student Exhibition, Adelaide
Ideas to Function, Goulburn Regional Gallery, NSW

1994
Compatibles, David Jones, Sydney and Canberra Australian Craft Show, Canberra

2019
Finalist in the inaugural Klaus Moje Award, Canberra, Australia

2014
Finalist Sarjeant Gallery Annual Art Review, Whanganui, New Zealand

2012
Honorary Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Canberra, Australia
Finalist Ranamok Glass Prize, Australia

2011
Finalist Distinguished Alumni Awards, University of Canberra
Recipient of CNZ Grant for new works solo exhibition

2005
Finalist City of Whyalla Art Prize, South Australia, Australia

2003
Recipient of the David Thomas Award, The Dowse Museum, Wellington, New Zealand

2000
Finalist in RFC Glass Prize (Resource Finance Corporation), Sydney, Australia

1999
Finalist in RFC Glass Prize (Resource Finance Corporation), Sydney, Australia

1998
Gold Medal and State Prize, Talente 98, Munich, Germany

1997
Recipient of Kyohei Fujita Prize, Young Glass 97 Competition, Denmark
Australia Council Project Development Grant

1996
Finalist in RFC Glass Prize (Resource Finance Corporation), Sydney, Australia

1995
Institute of the Arts Acquisition Award, Canberra, Australia
Fondi Travelling Scholarship