Brooklyn-based artist Layo Bright has been named as the 2023 recipient of the Ron Desmett Memorial Award celebrating artists "who think outside of the box, practice curiosity, and take risks to create unique, imaginative works in glass," according to the official announcement. Named in honor of PGC's late co-founder, the award cited Bright's explorations of African design techniques and symbolism through her glass sculptures as the reason for the award.
A native of Nigeria, Bright cites the capacity of glass to convey "resilience, transparency, reflection, fragility, and transformation" as reasons for her recent focus on the material, one of many media she uses including clay, wood and textiles. Bright holds an MFA from the Parsons School of Design, and has exhibited internationally in solo and group exhibitions at prominent galleries such as Sean Kelly Gallery (New York), Bode Projects (Berlin), and Monique Meloche (Chicago). She has received two scholarships at UrbanGlass (which publishes the Glass Quarterly Hot Sheet) and is currently a visiting artist resident at the Brooklyn nonprofit art center.
