Ben Sharp

Ben Sharp is fascinated by early aeronautics and the history of navigation. In developing his sculptural style, he draws from engineering, geometry, and mapping, and studies of proportion, balance, and light. His visually captivating and seemingly weightless sculptures incite a nostalgic sense of adventure. Avoiding trite whimsy, Ben Sharp juxtaposes industrial metal with centuries-old cane techniques to subtly reference the stitched netting and structures of hydrogen air balloons, zeppelins, and dirigibles. His work refers not only to flight, but alludes to the mysteries of science and the journeys of the human imagination.

Sharp earned a BFA from Alfred University, and he has taught at GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, and The Studio at Corning Museum of Glass. In 2012, he completed a Visiting Artist Residency at Museum of Glass-Tacoma, and in 2015 he received the Juror’s Choice Award by Spokane Arts. In 2016, following his solo show at Vetri, he was featured by Glass Art Magazine. Ben Sharp is an emerging artist to watch at Vetri.