Natasha Redina – the inspiring Glass Artist of Morley “painting with light”   

13 minute read – for the Artists of Morley 2025  

Natasha Redina is a Morley alumni and multi award-winning architectural stained-glass artist whose work merges traditional craftsmanship with contemporary innovation. Natasha’s designs “aim to transform architectural spaces into environments that promote well-being and human connection.”

In 2020, Natasha took a BTEC Certificate in Art & Design and a UAL Diploma in Art & Design in Glass, at Morley’s North Kensington Centre. She completed both courses with distinction.   

Since leaving Morley, Natasha has won numerous prestigious awards, and the President’s scholarship from the Royal College of Art. In 2025, she was awarded a livery from the Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass. Her artwork, Tree of Life, is currently touring cathedrals across the UK with the British Society of Master Glass Painters (BSMGP).

We caught up with Natasha and discovered her long-standing connection with Morley, the joy of glass art, and drawing inspiration from Leonardo Di Vinci.   

Morley: As a glass artist, how would you describe your work?

NR: I design and make site specific artworks for both sacred and secular buildings, as well as small bespoke fine art exhibition pieces for collectors. I’ve come to understand that my true medium is not just glass, but light itself.

I vividly remember the first time I painted an image on glass—applying a wash of bistre brown and then beginning to scratch away the surface. As the lightbox illuminated the image from beneath, I had a profound realisation: I was painting with light. That moment was a breakthrough for me, and it continues to shape my practice to this day. I have a deep respect for traditional craft, and I believe strongly in its preservation—not just for its own sake, but to ensure this knowledge can be passed on to future generations. My studies in World Religions at SOAS have informed a fascination with sacred imagery, which often finds its way into my work. I’m also drawn to geometric forms and sacred geometry, using them frequently as structural foundations in my designs.

My work combines contemporary design sensibilities with time-honoured techniques. I’m passionate about research and the process of transforming an idea into a tangible piece. To me, stained glass is a powerful metaphor for the fragmented, multi-layered nature of the world we live in. The lead lines represent not only divisions or breaks, but also connections—moments where separate elements come together to form a more complete image. In this way, stained glass becomes a visual language of synthesis, transformation, and illumination.

Why do you love glass as a medium?  

Light has always fascinated me—its transience, its liminal nature, the way it can transform a space.

What first drew me to glass as a medium wasn’t the material itself, but its ability to harness and transmit light. I was captivated by how coloured glass projects shifting pools of light and colour into the surrounding space, constantly responding to the changes in the environment—time of day, season, weather, and architecture.

Growing up between the UK and the Mediterranean—being of Anglo-Greek heritage—I became acutely aware of how different light can feel in different places. The cool, muted tones of Northern Europe versus the intense, golden light of the South made a deep impression on me, and I think this sensitivity to light and atmosphere continues to shape my work.

What techniques do you use to create your artworks?

I’m driven by a deep curiosity to explore the boundaries of stained glass as a medium. I love to experiment with surface techniques and layered glass, especially using multiple layers of flashed glass to create unexpected and nuanced colour palettes.  Most of my work involves mouth-blown flash glass, which consists of two layers of coloured glass. I enjoy etching away parts of the top layer to reveal the colour beneath, creating depth and contrast. I use a combination of sandblasting, a Dremel drill, and hand-polishing tools for this process. Once etched, I paint using traditional stained glass techniques, then kiln-fire the glass before assembling the final piece, often using layering and lead came to construct the work. In addition to glass, I have a deep love for sculpting with plaster, which has become a secondary passion in my practice.

What courses have you taken at Morley? How has your career changed over time?

“Looking back, Morley has been absolutely pivotal in my career progression —it’s been the springboard for each new chapter of my working life.”

I only truly appreciated this when I stopped to reflect on your question. It all began many years ago, when my daughter was very young. I took a massage course at Morley, which led me to practise as a massage therapist for several years. Interestingly, many of my clients would end up sharing their personal struggles with me, and I realised I needed to learn how to support them properly. That instinct led me to a short course in counselling, also at Morley—which opened the door to a much deeper path. I eventually went on to gain several qualifications, including a Master’s degree, and worked as a psychotherapist for over 20 years. I was deeply fascinated by the interface between conscious and unconscious processes, and the appearance of archetypal imagery in dreams. I kept a dream journal for decades, and I see now that many of the themes from that inner world—transformation, symbolism, liminality—have carried through into my artistic practice.

How did you get started in glass art?

In 2018, I felt a strong pull to work more physically and creatively with my hands again. That led me to study Sculpture at Pelham Hall, Morley College, with tutor Ben Swift. His quiet encouragement and depth of knowledge helped me build confidence and explore new techniques. That work resulted in my sculpture being exhibited at the MADE 2020 exhibition at the Menier Gallery.

In 2020, I took the plunge and enrolled in both the BTEC Certificate in Art & Design, and the UAL Diploma in Art & Design – both in Glass at Morley’s North Kensington Centre. I completed both courses with distinction. The breadth of techniques we were exposed to under the guidance of Maria Zulueta was extraordinary. Maria brought such passion and energy to the studio—her teaching opened up a whole new world of possibility in glass. What I loved most was how the skills I developed across both sculpture and glass began to inform one another. For example, wax sculpting and mould-making in the sculpture course gave me a solid foundation for working with kiln-formed glass in Maria’s class. Both courses also helped sharpen my critical thinking around the design process and problem-solving needed to bring a project to completion. When preparing my submission for the Stevens Competition in Architectural Glass, Ben Swift gave me valuable input on the technical specifications for the 2m x 2.5m metallic armature—demonstrating how interdisciplinary dialogue across Morley’s art departments creates a dynamic and supportive environment for students. That openness to cross-pollination has been such a defining and inspiring aspect of my time at Morley.

What were the most useful things you learnt?

I like to acknowledge the incredible hard work and dedication of the Art Department at Morley College—especially Maria Zulueta and Ben Swift. Without their invaluable support and guidance, none of what I’ve achieved would have been possible. I’m also deeply grateful to the wider Morley community. Adult education plays such a vital role, and it’s so important that it remains accessible and affordable.  What Morley offered me—and so many others—is a safe, creative space where people from all walks of life can come together, learn, grow, and feel less isolated. That sense of community is especially crucial right now. The emphasis on collaboration, peer learning, and mutual support was one of the most enriching parts of the experience.

“I loved the opportunity to share what I’d learnt with others, and equally, to learn from the diverse skills, experiences, and insights of my fellow students. Some of the most meaningful lessons didn’t come from formal teaching alone, but through conversations—between students, with tutors, and in the quiet moments of making, side by side in the studio. That spirit of exchange and generosity is, to me, what made the learning at Morley so powerful.”

Since studying glass at Morley,  your career as a glass artist has gone from strength to strength, can you tell me which awards have you won? 

2025: Livery recipient from the Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass.

2025: QEST Kirby Laing Foundation Emerging Maker. Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust

2024: The President and Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship (RCA – Royal College of Arts)

2023: The Benyon Study Award / BSMGP / British Society of Master Glass Painters.

2022: The Lever Award / Livery Recipient / Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass.

2022: Commission Winner for the Stevens Architectural Glass Competition / Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass.

2022: 1st Prize: Design. The Brian Thomas Memorial Prize / Stevens Architectural Glass Competition / Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass.

2021: 1st Prize: Design. The Brian Thomas Memorial Prize / Stevens Architectural Glass Competition / Worshipful Company of Glaziers and Painters of Glass.

How did the glass BTEC at Morley help you to progress your career?  

Absolutely—it was a crucial turning point. The BTEC in Glass at Morley gave me the solid technical foundation I needed to understand the medium more fully and begin developing a professional practice. Under the guidance of Maria Zulueta, whose passion and deep knowledge of glass are truly inspiring, I was introduced to a wide range of techniques—everything from kiln-formed processes to painting, etching, and layering. Maria’s teaching was both rigorous and encouraging; she pushed us to really explore the material and understand its possibilities. That course gave me the confidence to take creative risks and the skills to begin crafting more ambitious and refined work. It was also the point at which I began to integrate my previous experiences in sculpture and design into my glass practice, and that interdisciplinary approach has become a core part of my identity as an artist. Since then, I’ve gone on to exhibit work in cathedrals through the British Society of Master Glass Painters, take on public and private commissions, and begin an MA at the Royal College of Art. None of that would have been possible without the grounding I received during my time at Morley. It was an important step in my journey.

Tell me more about your MA at the Royal College of Art?

I’m currently completing my postgraduate Master’s in Applied Arts at the Royal College of Art. After spending the past five years deeply immersed in learning traditional stained glass techniques, I now find myself circling back to my earlier practice—working with installation, projection, and photography. During my MA at the RCA, I began exploring immersive environments again, using video and light as core elements. It feels like a natural evolution of my love for light—expanding beyond the frame of the window, into spatial and experiential forms. It’s an exciting moment in my practice, and I’m curious to see how these strands—traditional glasswork and contemporary installation—will continue to intertwine.

One of my main areas of focus has been biophilic design, and I’ve been working on a project that explores how NHS environments might be improved to promote a greater sense of well-being. I believe we often underestimate the psychological and physiological impact of our surroundings—small design interventions can have a surprisingly profound effect on how we feel in a space.

Alongside this, I’ve been continuing my exploration of light, drawing inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci’s sketchbooks, particularly his diagrams and writings on optics and light. Through experimenting with projected light through mouth-blown glass—I’ve witnessed some fascinating effects that closely mirror Leonardo’s studies. These discoveries are helping me bridge historical observation with contemporary practice, and they continue to inform my creative direction.

Can you describe the Leonardo de Vinci inspired experiments with light you’ve created?

I’m really excited about this project—it’s been a journey of embracing the unknown and allowing the process itself to lead to unexpected discoveries. Through extensive experimentation with glass and light, I’ve been reimagining Leonardo da Vinci’s optical studies, translating his ideas into a contemporary, immersive light installation. Inspired by his sketches and diagrams on the behaviour of light, I’ve used mouth-blown glass to project and manipulate light in ways that evoke his observations—creating patterns, distortions, and phenomena that feel almost alchemical. Some of these ephemeral light effects have been captured and ‘frozen in time’ through photography, while others have been materialised in glass itself. The result is a body of work that includes both unique glass pieces and limited-edition photographic prints, which will be available following the RCA degree show. Each piece is a moment of light preserved, fleeting, yet made tangible. I have been deeply moved by Leonardo’s endless wonder and curiosity and his courage to continue to ask questions…

Where is stained glass positioned in the fine arts— and do you think it receives the recognition it deserves?

Stained glass is, in my view, one of the most overlooked mediums in the fine arts. Despite its extraordinary potential, it’s often pigeonholed as purely decorative or ecclesiastical. Yet it engages with something that has captivated artists for centuries: light. And not just light as illumination, but light as emotion, movement, atmosphere—light as narrative. It’s a medium that’s uniquely alive. As the sun shifts, the work changes. No other material interacts with its environment in quite the same way. And yet, in contemporary fine art discourse, stained glass is often absent or dismissed. I think this needs to change. Some of the great modern artists clearly recognised its power—Marc Chagall, for example, only began working in stained glass in his 70s, and went on to create some of the most moving and luminous glass works ever made. Matisse, too, embraced it in his later years, creating pieces that are still revered for their simplicity and spiritual power. I believe stained glass deserves a much more prominent place in contemporary art and for it to be reframed as a powerful, expressive medium for conceptual and experimental work.

Given your fascinating career journey, what do you believe is the importance of art in people’s lives?

This is such an important question—one I wrestled with for a long time. In fact, it wasn’t until I could begin to answer it for myself, that I began to allow myself to step into the identity of ‘artist’. I had been working with art in small ways since 2005, but I couldn’t justify leaving my career as a psychotherapist. At the time, art felt too frivolous. But as I’ve grown older, I’ve come to understand just how essential it really is.

When everything else is stripped away, art has the ability to speak to us on a deep, non-verbal level. It touches something in us that words often can’t reach. It helps us process complex emotions, confront existential questions, and find meaning in the experience of being human.

That’s not a luxury—it’s a need. It’s uniquely human, and I find it incredibly moving that throughout history, every society, no matter how materially poor or politically unstable, has always had artists in one form or another. For me personally, it was during a time of profound bereavement that I truly understood the importance of art. It brought me solace in a way nothing else could. And you can see that hunger in society today—exhibitions regularly sell out, people queue to experience something. I think we’re all looking to feel something, even if not consciously. We want to be moved, to connect. In my own work, I’ve found myself returning to earlier studies in alchemy, Jungian psychology, and transcultural myth—sources that help me contextualise and deepen my practice. I believe art has a vital role in helping us imagine alternative futures—ones not dictated by mainstream narratives. Artists can contribute to new forms of world-building. If you have the chance, I highly recommend reading News from Nowhere by William Morris. It’s a compelling and beautiful reimagining of what London—and our lives—could be. Art allows us to ask: What if things could be different?

You’ve taken quite a few courses at Morley over the years.  What do believe is the importance of adult education?

For me, adult education is absolutely essential. I consider myself a lifelong student—my curiosity has never waned, and I hope it never will. That hunger to keep learning, to keep growing, to stay open to new ideas, ways of seeing, and ways of making, is at the heart of who I am—not just as an artist, but as a person… Adult education provides something incredibly valuable: the chance to begin again at any stage in life. “Whether you’re changing career, rediscovering a long-held passion, or simply exploring a subject for the joy of it, adult education opens doors. It makes new worlds accessible.” 

Finally, what project would you like to do next?

I would love to create a stained glass panel for Morley College as a way of giving something back!  Morley has played such a pivotal role in my journey—it feels only natural to mark that with a piece that celebrates its legacy and continues to inspire future generations. One space that feels particularly fitting is the canteen at the Kensington campus. It’s flooded with beautiful natural light, and I can immediately imagine how a stained glass window there could transform the atmosphere—creating a moment of reflection, colour, and inspiration in the everyday rhythm of college life. The piece I envision would honour the extraordinary lineage of Morley’s teachers and students. From Virginia Woolf to David Caminer—the world’s first software engineer—to John Martin-Dye, Olympic swimmer, and Supermac Macdonald, one of the highest goal-scorers of all time, Morley’s history is rich with creativity, courage, and innovation. I would love to find a way to weave those stories into glass, combining traditional techniques with a contemporary aesthetic that speaks to Morley’s ongoing mission of accessible, life-changing education.

Images: Natasha Redina

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