About the artist
About the Artist
Lothar Böttcher is a South African glass sculptor whose cold-worked optical glass sculptures are held in permanent collections at the Corning Museum of Glass (USA), the Glasmuseum Frauenau (Germany), the Glasmuseum Lette (Germany), the Glasmuseum Hadamar (Germany), the Pretoria Art Museum (South Africa), and the International Biennale of Glass Collection (Bulgaria).
Recognised in the Homo Faber Guide as an international master artisan, and featured in New Glass Review 45, his work has been exhibited across four continents — from the Smithsonian Renwick Gallery in Washington DC and the Toyama Glass Art Museum in Japan, to galleries and institutions throughout Europe and Africa.
Practice
Böttcher works predominantly in the cold state — carving, cutting and polishing optical crystal entirely by hand. Holding the Glasveredlermeister qualification from the Glasfachschule Zwiesel, he brings a rare combination of master-level craft and contemporary sculptural thinking to his work. His practice explores how prehistoric images and objects continue to speak across the chasm of time — their enduring animistic energy continuously rekindling human imagination — while examining how mass media and modern technology shape and distort our perception of the world. His sculptures aim to speak for both the ancient and the immediate, offering viewers a contemplative moment within the noise of contemporary life.
Community & Leadership
A Board Member of the Glass Art Society (international) and founding Director of the Moya African Glass Network, Böttcher is a leading voice in the global glass community. He is a founding member of the Lathe Riders, the international cold-working collective that opened the 2024 Glass Art Society Conference in Berlin — the first time in the conference’s history that cold work took centre stage. He has curated major exhibitions including Fired Up! — Celebrating Southern African Glass Art for the United Nations’ International Year of Glass 2022, and regularly leads the cold-working course at the International Summer Academy, Bild-Werk Frauenau, Germany.
Representation
Böttcher is represented by Ebony Curated (South Africa), Ark Contemporary (South Africa), Schürenberg Kunsthandel (Germany), and Chesterfield Gallery (USA). For commissions and enquiries, visit the Obsidian Glass page or contact directly below.
Curriculum Vitae
A comprehensive history of Lothar Böttcher’s awards, acknowledgements, publications, exhibitions, and education history.
