Born in Hull, East Yorkshire, England in 1952, Vic’s first hands on with hot glass came about during a part time evening course in hot glass in Buckinghamshire in 2000. The following summer a piece of his work was selected for inclusion in the V&A Museum’s ‘Inspired by’ exhibition. This ‘inspired’ Vic, along with brother and fellow glassmaker Ian, to relocate and pursue his interest full time at the world renowned Dudley International Glass Centre. 
Vic graduated from the college in 2004 with a diploma in Glass Techniques and Technology and an Advanced Diploma in Glass Design. He was awarded a bursary from the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers of London to assist with study, and subsequently won the Plowden and Thompson award for the ‘Best Interpretation of Glass Quality’.
After graduation Vic was offered an internship at the historically significant Wordsley Red House Cone, Stourbridge, UK. This period of time, between 2005 and 2008, enabled him to further develop his skills, techniques and creative ideas to the point where he is now collected internationally. Vic is a specialist in the highly demanding, tricky, time consuming and often frustrating Graal technique. He creates instantly recognisable, vibrantly painted one-off art pieces using specialist high firing enamels.
The basics that drive his work are the dynamics of colour, movement, and the unique properties and qualities of glass itself. Inspiration is drawn from life’s experiences – people he has met, and the world around him. The blown form has provided him with an ideal three-dimensional canvas to carry his expressive, figurative/non figurative content infused with a sense of humour.
Vic exhibits internationally, most noteworthy being the annual ‘Sculptural Objects and functional Art’ (SOFA) fair, held at the Navy Pier, Chicago. This is the top show for contemporary decorative and fine arts in the world, where a select number of the world’s finest galleries and dealers from a number of countries present for sale one-of-a-kind masterworks bridging the decorative and fine arts.
Three pieces of Vic’s work were short listed for the prestigious 3rd British Glass Biennale Award 2008 and subsequently included in the exhibition at the Ruskin Glass Centre, Stourbridge, UK. The British Glass Biennale is the major selling exhibition of contemporary glass that takes place once every two years and is a highlight of the International Festival of Glass in Stourbrige’s historic glass quarter.
Vic regularly exhibits at Specialist Glass Collectors Fairs in the UK:
- The National Glass Collectors Fair, the National Motorcycle Museum, West Midlands.
- The Cambridge Glass Fair, Chilford Hall, Cambridgeshire.
- SE21, The Glass & Ceramics Fair, Dulwich College, London.
Each individual piece is designed, hand painted, hand blown, signed, titled and dated by Vic himself. These one-off works of art have been variously described as; ‘beautiful’, ‘unusual’, ‘unique’ and ‘uplifting’, and they never fail to raise a smile!
http://www.vicbamforthglass.com/
