Whanganui Glass Artist Lands National Residency

Back in Aotearoa, Batchelar pushes boundaries in glass

Whanganui, NZ | Whanganui’s Te Whare Tūhua o Te Ao, New Zealand Glassworks (NZG) is excited to announce Lewis Batchelar as the 2026 Artist in Residence, marking the fourth year of the Creative New Zealand supported programme.

Batchelar, who recently returned to Aotearoa after nine years working in Adelaide’s vibrant glass scene, will spend four weeks in NZG’s world-class studio from 6 July to 2 August 2026. The body of work created during this time will be showcased in a solo exhibition at NZG in 2027.

The independent selection panel of Eloise Kitson (Director, Masterworks Gallery), Emma Camden (Artist), and Greg Donson (Senior Curator & Programmes Manager, Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery) praised Batchelar’s proposal for its clarity, craftsmanship, and ambition. “Lewis Batchelar’s proposal stood out as a thoughtful and confident exploration of glass as both material and language,” the panel noted. “With an excellent track record and a clear artistic direction, he was the unanimous choice for the 2026 residency.”

Batchelar plans to use the residency to explore pattern, colour theory, and the expressive possibilities of repetition and form through a new series of sculptural blown-glass works. 

“This residency offers the rare chance to focus deeply on experimentation,” says Batchelar. “I want to honour glassmaking traditions while pushing the dialogue between pattern, colour and structure, creating works that feel both familiar and entirely new.”

His proposal was supported by Lilly Buttrose, Production Manager of the Glass Department at JamFactory (Adelaide), and renowned glass artist Clare Belfrage (AUS), both of whom praised Batchelar’s skill and contribution to the Australasian glass community.

NZG’s Artist in Residence runs alongside its Internship and Professional Mentor programmes, which will be announced this month, offering both established and emerging artists the chance to develop their practice in Whanganui’s nationally recognised glass facility.

Made possible through Creative New Zealand funding, these professional development initiatives are helping to strengthen contemporary glass practice in Aotearoa.