Behind the Glass

Emily Johnson

Emily Johnson is a self-taught glass artist based in Greenville, South Carolina, working across stained and fused glass. Through her studio, Glitter Flux Glassworks, she creates one-of-a-kind works exploring glass through color, texture, light, and material experimentation.

Working primarily with the Tiffany copper-foil method, Johnson approaches stained glass as both a traditional craft and a medium for experimentation. Her work combines hand-cut stained glass with kiln-fused elements, glass painting, layered textures, and UV-reactive and phosphorescent materials. Each piece develops through drawing and material exploration, allowing the particular qualities of the glass to influence the final form.

Light functions as both a material and an active element within the work. While stained glass has historically relied on transmitted light, Johnson is interested in expanding that relationship beyond the window. Changes in daylight, ultraviolet light, and darkness can reveal different colors, textures, and details within a single work. Her pieces explore glass as a material capable of transformation, revealing different aspects of itself as the conditions around it change.