Jenna Efrien

Glacier Melt

Cast, fused bottle glass, Conté, resin, wood

"Spending time in nature has always been a source of peace and healing, where I discover all forms of decay and transformation. I am drawn to the contrast between destruction and renewal. Because of this, I notice the trash on the ground, floating in the air, the evolution of our structures, and the people thought of as inconsequential and riff-raff. What is left behind tells a story. I repurpose the same glass I saw smashed in the streets and abandoned buildings. Metaphorically, I relate to these states of being, but instead of focusing on loss, I seek to rebuild something beautiful from the surviving remnants."

— Jenna Efrien

About the artist

Jenna Efrien

American

Jenna Efrein, from Brooklyn, New York, lives and works as a glass sculptor and designer in Miami, Florida. She received her MFA from Alfred University School of Art and Design in Sculpture/Dimensional Studies ('09). Efrein is currently a Senior Lecturer of Glass at the University of Miami. Her work is about a disrupted urban childhood, the climate crisis, and the ravages of war. Predominantly, she uses glass for its material qualities to create connections and meaning. Since moving to Miami in 2014, she has had four solos and participated in over 30 group exhibitions. The Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and FUNDarte awarded her an "Artist Access Grant" ('18 & '23). A resident since 2015 at Miami's Bakehouse Art Complex, Efrein is an active and intrinsic part of the Miami art community. She was awarded a competitive Merit Scholarship for The Vermont Studio Residency ('18). As a part of their Home and Away program, Oolite Arts sent her on an artist retreat at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in 2021.