Rule of Ten. Kimberly Thomas, artist. Photo by Brady Connelly
By Gina Malone
Kimberly Thomas began her art career after college as a special effects makeup artist in Los Angeles. When, after a few years, she was laid off from that job, she answered an ad on Craigslist for what she thought was a position as an apprentice in a hot shop. “But it was a flameworking shop where several pipe makers worked,” she says. “I decided to give flameworking a try. I wasn’t particularly interested in pipe making, but working with glass seemed interesting and I was in between jobs.” Although making pipes was not her true calling, she adds, it turned out to be a wonderful introduction to working with glass.
The Deeper You Go, the Darker It Gets. Kimberly Thomas, artist
After more than a decade, she was ready to move on to creating with glass in a way that tapped into her passions. “Sculpting, storytelling, inventing and the secrets of the universe are what really interest me,” Thomas says. “I decided to commit to making narrative sculpture and introduce other media to my work as well.”
Before she graduated from Rhode Island School of Design, creativity and imagination held sway during her growing up years. “I have always had a natural talent for making art and enjoyed sculpting, painting, making dolls and other arts and crafts as a child,” she says. Imaginary friends and supernatural creatures were part of her childhood. “I was very creative with a vivid imagination. I recall getting in trouble for daydreaming or looking out the window at school.”
Not deterred by those scoldings, however, Thomas embraces imagination still and invites viewers to share in the adventures of her fanciful creations. “I consider myself an inventor and take great joy in making miniature glass flying machines and other unusual inventions,” she says. “My vignettes draw people in as they examine every minute detail. I offer truth and a different perspective for the viewer.”
She is currently in her second year as an Artist-in-Residence at Penland School of Craft, with work on display in the Penland Gallery and, through June 22, at the Chrysler Museum Perry Glass Studio Community Gallery, in Norfolk, VA, as well as at museums and galleries across the country. She is a former professor at Salem Community College, in NJ, and serves on the board of directors for the Glass Art Society where she is chairperson for its IDEA (Inclusion Diversity Equity & Accessibility) committee.
Maiden Voyage. Kimberly Thomas, artist
“The works I produce are flameworked borosilicate glass and mixed media narrative sculpture,” she says. “I hand sculpt miniature glass objects and create environments in which the objects are assembled. The vignettes are surreal, darkly humorous and always tell a story or portray a lesson.”
She is currently developing three bodies of work: The Escape, which examines spiritual or ethereal experiences, more specifically a girl’s journey through an apocalyptic world and her attempts to escape; Short Stories, a selection of miniature borosilicate and mixed media sculptures that tell stories of earthly experiences and their influence on personal ascension; and Memento, an adaptation of Short Stories. “I am intensely interested in psychology/human nature and quantum mechanics,” she says. “The unobservable world is intrinsically linked to consciousness and can help us understand our connection to spirit.”
A prolific artist, Thomas works every day, and many of her pieces take weeks to months to complete. With borosilicate glass as her core medium, she uses steel, wood and other mixed media to achieve the intense realism and attention to detail that contribute to her narratives.
Cloud Riding Contraption #4. Kimberly Thomas, artist. Photo by Betsy DeWitt
Penland Gallery curator Kathryn Gremley sees parallels between Thomas’ work and fantastical short films. “There is an intentional gritty quality to the glass, and often a dark/light Ghibli-esque approach to storytelling,” Gremley says. “Her fantastical cloud pieces are delightfully reminiscent of Miyasaki’s short film Kūsō no Sora Tobu Kikaitachi about imaginary flying machines.”
Thomas is part of the TMT Collective, named after its founding members: Thomas, John Moran and Leo Tecosky. The group aims to transform ideas of what glass is, can be and should be. “[W]e strive to embolden the next generation of makers to fill this void, to move beyond the limits of the status quo, reject decorative superficiality and make a lasting impact on the future of glass,” the group’s statement reads.
“Those of us fortunate to be in proximity to her on-campus studio have the opportunity to watch her fearless creativity take shape in the form of narrative sculptures,” says Gremley. “I use the word ‘fearless’ to describe her willingness to take risks and a road less traveled with her materials and content. Kimberly’s work occupies that liminal space where skill and a conscious disregard for convention drive the creativity to unexpected places.”
At Penland School of Craft, in Bakersville, Kimberly Thomas holds open studio hours, during which visitors may view and purchase work, from 2–6 p.m., or by appointment. Learn more at Penland.org and KimberlyThomas.Art, and on Instagram @iroczii.
