
Photograph by Kevin A. Roberts
Demetra Theofanous, “Whisper of Spring,” $3,500. Craft Alliance.
Interpretations was the name of the recent 15th Biennial Teapot Exhibition at Craft Alliance Center of Art + Design. Artists provided dramatic, contemporary updates to the teapot, a focal point of many traditional ceremonial and social gatherings. Over time, the teapot has seen many renderings, being shaped and influenced by cultures across the world. Interpretations celebrated this idea while shedding insights about modern innovations. Here's how San Francisco-based artist Demetra Theofanous—who created the teapot featured here, "Whisper of Spring," in 2015—described her technique:
“My signature is a technique I developed for weaving glass, which allows me to create large-scale sculptures by melting glass in the flame at a tabletop torch. Technique merges with narratives in my work to express metaphorical bridges between nature and human beings. Inspired by the storytelling tradition of woven tapestry and basketry, I see myself as weaving with glass to connect the viewer with the story of the natural world.”