Last December I was asked to create a cross to complement my earlier sculpture Reflections. The cross will be a multi-layered sculptural work, which I’ll be able to share in full once it’s completed.
This commission is my third for Emmaus College. Each of my first two sculptures was created for a different part of the campus, but together they form a thread of continuity through shared themes and materials.
The Walk was the first, marking a point of journey and encounter. It introduced sculpture at Emmaus as something to look at and to move with. Reflections extended this with glass and aluminium, chosen for their ability to hold light and mirror the environment. It brought colour and surface into play, adding another layer to how students and visitors experience the campus.
The Emmaus Cross draws from both of these earlier works. It uses the same palette of colours and materials as Reflections, so the visual connection is immediate. What distinguishes it is the treatment of light. Here, the edges of the glass are illuminated, giving the form a presence that shifts as light changes through the day. Rather than only reflecting its environment, the cross becomes a source of light in itself. It’s a subtle shift, but one that changes how the sculpture is read in space.
At the moment, the cross is still in progress. I have been working with the base support structure that will hold the form and preparing the glass and aluminium elements. These early stages are about problem-solving and precision. They don’t yet show the full impact of the finished piece, but they carry the intent. For me, showing the work at this stage is as important as showing it complete. It opens up the process and lets the making itself become part of the story.
Cutting the glass
Cutting Glass for the Cross
Procuring and cutting the aluminium
