Stained glass has a thousand-year-long tradition and an entrenched reputation as one of the most conservative art mediums to ever exist. Here are five contemporary artists whose work shows that stained glass art is still relevant and thriving.

Five Artists Who Put a Contemporary Spin on Stained Glass Art

Brian Clarke

Brian Clarke is a British artist who has undoubtedly revolutionized stained glass art. After he attended a stained glass course at university in the 70s and learned the rules of the century-long tradition, he reappropriated it and made it his own. Clarke is the first stained glass artist who has proven that this art form has the potential to go far beyond its ecclesiastical roots. His work ranges from classical stained glass one might see in a church to abstract, symbolic pieces resembling works of modernist and contemporary art.

Christopher Janney

Christopher Janney is an artist and sound architect who stands behind the massive interactive stained glass installation at Miami International Airport. While Janney is mostly known for his sound art projects, his interactive piece for Miami International Airport is considered a major landmark in his career. He also made colored glass installations for other US airports, for example, “Circling” at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.

Kehinde Wiley

Kehinde Wiley has received multiple mentions on our blog before, and he deserves just as many, if not more, for his revolutionary work. Known primarily for his large-scale paintings depicting Black people in the style of European royal portraits, he has also created some outstanding works in stained glass. Wiley’s ecclesiastic-style figurative art piece “Saint Remi” is made from colored glass and depicts a young man with a halo around his head and a golden staff in his hand, who is releasing a dove.

Lindsey Mendick

Lindsey Mendick’s 2022 solo exhibition “Off With Her Head” featured a life-sized sculpture of a woman praying on her knees, surrounded by lit-up windows made from colored glass. The artist dabbled into the religious tradition surrounding stained glass to illustrate the horrible injustice women faced throughout history.

Dominic Wilcox

The unique work created by Dominic Wilcox is a stained glass sculpture. Titled “Stained Glass Driverless Sleeper Car of the Future,” it is a futuristic vehicle prototype that looks like something out of a sci-fi movie, which combines Wilcox’s love for traditional art forms and technology.

These five artists prove that even art forms and mediums that are thought to be restrictive and outdated can be revitalized in the right hands.