Originally from California, I grew up in an era that produced psychedelia and the Moon landings. As a child, I collected sea glass, dissected toys, climbed granite mountains and dreamt of escaping suburbia. After a period of wanderlust, I settled in London and now work from a garden studio in rural Surrey. Steps away, I can stargaze, watch the ISS or ponder our connection to an indifferent but stunning universe.
Interests in astronomy and physics have led to three space-based artworks, sparking a determination to advocate for art in space exploration through writing and talks. Studying philosophy helps me to knit universal concepts with material aesthetics.
I’m mesmerised by glass and its power to record movement through bending, stretching and sagging in the kiln. Witnessing fundamental forces at work, I peek inside at critical points, sensing the falling in my own body. Capturing the momentary is key. Sculptures emerge as a collaboration between heat, gravity and imagination. The outcomes appear to be spontaneous, yet are driven by testing and inventive prop making – every firing is a risk and a surprise.
Years as a graphic designer honed an eye for simplicity, balance and contrast. I’m drawn to juxtaposing different materials with glass to add meaning: rocks refer to solidity or deep time; cords or wires mark tension between objects. The work comes alive through real or implied movement: folded or collapsed glass signals transitional form, some sculptures have no fixed position, others hang or rotate. Material voids vibrate with invisible forces and reflected light suggests other dimensions, prompting an awareness of perceptual shifts. My aim is to provoke thought and incite sensory experience.
Lisa Pettibone has an MA in Art and Science from Central Saint Martins, London and was artist-in-residence at Mullard Space Science Laboratory (UCL) funded by Arts Council England from September 2018-2019. A collaborative artwork Fingertip Galaxy was launched on ESA’s Euclid Mission in 2023. In 2022 a microgravity sculpture she was part of the Moon Gallery Foundation’s ISS Test Mission, the first gallery in space and contributed a poem in their Moon Bound book destined to land on the Moon in late 2026.
Developing work for exhibitions, commissions and curated events, she also teach advanced glass-making courses from my studio and other venues. I have participated in art/science events at institutions including NASA/JPL (California), CERN (Switzerland), European Space Agency (Netherlands) and University College London. Lisa is a member of the Moon Village Association Cultural Considerations group and an elected member of the Royal Society of Sculptors.
Glass forms rise from the surface as if pressing through from beneath, shaped by the memory of heat and pressure. A fluorescent yellow backing casts a reflected glow, giving the colour a felt, atmospheric presence. The work shifts with the viewer’s position — light and shadow revealing new depths as one moves around it.
Folded glass held in tension by string, as though the material is being pulled toward collapse. The fold has already taken shape through the glass’s own process — the string calls attention to that pressure rather than causing it. A quiet study in restraint and resistance.
Emerge II is formed from pale butter-yellow glass, its smooth surface interrupted by soft, rounded undulations and a gentle lift along the lower edge. These subtle distortions preserve the effects of heat, gravity and pressure, making the rigid material appear momentarily pliable. Fluorescent yellow behind the glass intensifies its warmth and creates a faint glow around the work. As the light shifts, depth and shadow change, allowing the restrained relief to become more active as the viewer moves.