My work is born out of a sustained exploration of human nature and the conflicts that exist between our inner reality and the world we occupy. I often emphasize decadence and grandiosity to illuminate the superfluous nature of accumulated luxury when faced with our own impermanence. I am also interested in engaging the viewer’s gaze, drawing the participant into a state of reflection, literally and philosophically, about the essence of human existence and ideas related to growth, emotionality, aspiration, and mortality.
Joanna Manousis is a British–American artist working in glass and mixed media. Her work has been recognized with nominations for the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Award and the Bombay Sapphire Prize for Excellence in Glass, and received the Margaret M. Mead Award, and the Hans Godo Frabel Award. Manousis has received support from internationally recognized residency programs including the Glass Pavilion at the Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio; Museum of Arts and Design, New York; Corning Museum of Glass, New York; and Cité internationale des arts, Paris, France. Her work has been exhibited at Design Miami; Art Basel, Switzerland; FOG Art + Design, San Francisco; Glasmuseet Ebeltoft, Denmark; and the British Glass Biennale, Stourbridge, England. Manousis holds an M.F.A. in Sculpture from Alfred University, New York, and a B.A. in Fine Art (Glass) from University of Wolverhampton, England. Manousis has worked, studied, and taught in Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia.