Barbara Ewing

Barbara Ewing grew up, was educated, married, and raised a family in Zimbabwe. Her long-time fascination with glass started with her 1950s and 1960s studio glass collection.

After starting her career in a structural engineering drawing office, she went on to run her own ceramics studio making stoneware and porcelain and developed her own glazes with the help of her metallurgical chemist husband.

Then followed 20 years as a product designer, designing furniture, home accessories, and lighting. She worked with her son Angus experimenting with fused and slumped glass for their lighting designs.

Ewing had an exciting involvement in a small hot shop in Zimbabwe where she produced glassware from recycled bottles using a furnace fired with reclaimed old engine oil. Unfortunately, the adventure was cut short by the collapse of the Zimbabwe economy in 2008, which necessitated her relocation to South Africa.

She joined her mentor and well-known glass artist Nelius Britz at Cape Glass Studio late in 2011, where he generously taught her the glass casting process, which has become her passion.

Recently the climate crisis has become the focus of Ewing’s interest and her latest pieces represent this. She believes that glass, as a recyclable material, will take a leading role in a future (hopefully) sustainable world, especially as technological advances are made in the field of glass. There is also recognition of the amazing material that is glass!

Ewing has exhibited in Zimbabwe and South Africa and has worked in on collections internationally.

079 382 9664 barbara@mwedziglass.com Mwedzi Glass

Wing (2018)

Crystal Cast Glass using the lost wax method.

H:21 W:23 D:19cm