A MALTA-BORN artist inspired by his years as a chef and time spent scuba diving, has entered an unusual glass piece in the City of Bayswater 2016 Art Awards.
Bedford artist Robert Scalpello has entered the piece ‘Jellyfish’ in a new category called sculpture (3D works).
Scapello worked as a chef for 15 years in Malta, England and Australia and now does FIFO work on a mine site and practises glass art on his weeks off.
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READ NOWHe said he originally got into glasswork three years ago, when his mother suddenly died.
“You never know what’s around the corner… four months after my mother died, I invested money into the equipment,” he said.
Scapello said it was a challenge to create a jellyfish out of glass, inspired by one of his scuba diving adventures.
“I see a lot of things in the sea and I wanted to replicate something that is very fluid,” he said.
“You make a mould out of fibreboard of the top of the jellyfish; you can put it in the kiln up to 840C.
“I put holes in the fibreboard and when it drips then you have to catch it at the exact right time.”
Scapello said his glass art studio was now his kitchen.
“Chef-ing is very creative and is all about timing, the colours, the flavours,” he said.
“The glass is a bit more scientific, I suppose it’s more like pastry.”
Entries for the City of Bayswater Art Award close October 31 and the exhibition will be on show at The RISE November 21 to December 4.
An application form is available at www.bayswater.wa.gov.au.