About Michael Biel, Sculptor

I am a primarily self-taught sculptor. I have known since an early age that sculpture was something I loved and was excited by. As a graduate student in Classical Archaeology, I excavated on ancient sites and dove upon ancient Greek shipwrecks in the Aegean. Later, I would dive the Great Barrier Reef. Underwater, I most have loved the colors of soft corals and reefs, jellyfish forms and squids. Further learning of deep bio-luminescent creatures and jellies completely captivates me. Exploring materials as an artist-healer, I experimented working with wood and stone, which yielded no clear direction, but contact with crystals and semi-precious stones led me into a deepening appreciation of naturally occurring translucent colors and energies. Upon discovering blown glass over thirty years ago, I saw in it a vibrancy that wanted to be exalted and forms that further inspired me to tune into what I could do with that type of glass. Fortunately, I’ve had a deep sense of being guided and my work continues to grow anew with each completed piece.

I work with used, flawed, and often, chipped art glass vessels sourced from all over the world - mainly in the form of unsigned, vintage, abstract glass, lead crystal, and blown glass vases and bowl shapes from long-shuttered, European and North American production houses. I re-purpose these and add my own elements, carving, cutting, grinding, sandblasting and polishing them (collectively known as cold-working) to fit together. My StarSentients™ series has been the result of re-imagining the old glass into new, luminous totem embodiments, holding evolved, spiritual energies. This has been my passion, as I strive to create sculptures designed to embody timelessness and universality, while they kindle hidden memory. I am hopeful that these offer a fresh archetypal mythology, as it arrives shamanically and progressively through these new entity forms to uplift the viewer and inspire contemplation.

I have worked directly with master glass artist, Jerry Lin-Hsien Kung, at Public Glass, and received initial training with Marty Meade, who inspired my earliest love of working with the material. I’ve worked with maestro Latchezar Boyadjiev to refine forms and have shown pieces in a gallery setting with works by Matt Szosz, Nate Watson and David Patchen.

For more about this work, please see my Artist Statement.