Gust Gallery - Fine Arts

Born and raised in Poland, and now living in Calgary, Anna Bilek's enthusiasm for skiing and adventure led her to Calgary, where she now resides. During a ski vacation, Anna took a lamp-working class, and her new career appeared before her. Anna's previous career as a system integrator would gradually come to an end as her passion for glass grew into a full-time occupation.

Since 2010, she has been focusing on her new career in art, culminating with the opening of Passion for Glass in 2012. Passion for Glass is a fine art glass gallery and working studio offering classes for all age groups and levels.

"With a passion for glass and especially the transparency of glass, my artistic work challenges the traditional perception of glass art by introducing alternative ways to experience glass. Over the years, transparent glass has infiltrated every part of modern society, changing both human behaviour and language. And yet it is more invisible than ever. This current status calls for a new perspective on glass.

My work explores glass beyond the object. To understand transparent glass's potential, one must look beyond surface and object and into and through the material. It is not about the object, but what happens through the object. I am researching the material aspects and the ambiguity of transparent glass and how these notions can trigger creative thinking and new perspectives on glass. One thing glass has taught me is that there are many ways to look at things. It all depends on from which angle you look and through which filter."