Debra Adelson

As a classically trained silversmith, my work has grown through years of experimentation, merging cold-worked glass, jewelry-making, and lapidary techniques. Coming to it felt like falling in love with its history, its renewability, and its quiet magic. Solid, yet fluid in spirit, glass has the ability to capture movement as if still in motion. In an age of technology, replacing the human hand, I turn instead to a centuries-old process: cold-working. I create the glass by laminating colored and optical layers, then cut and grind it in solid form, using slow, water-cooled methods. The top layer of optical glass acts as a prism, amplifying light as opalescent color shifts and unfolds. I conduct the conversation between glass, metal, and stone with intention, each element contributing to the movement, balance, and depth of the piece.