Jelena Popadic

Jelena Popadic (1964, Yugoslavia) studied Civil Engineering in her native country and then went on to study art and graduate with a BA in Art & Design from the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. Since her graduation she works as an independent glass artist and teacher but she also has been active in the field of painting, music and cinema.

Her objects are usually made of blown glass, mainly sphere, cylinder or cone shaped and often color underlayed. Signature coldworking techniques are cutting and above all deep sandblasting, creating deep almost surreal indents in the objects' surfaces. The symmetrical patterns she creates refer to cell structures, crystals, molecules and atoms. She transforms glass into subdued objects which become very different in their outward appearance.

One of the most prestigious works Jelena Popadic has made is the traditional "Oranje Vaas" on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Queen Beatrix as monarch of The Netherlands. Her work is part of many private and public collections, including the Dutch National Glass Museum and the acclaimed Ernsting Stiftung Glasmuseum in Germany.