Recent Alberta University of Art and Design MFA graduate Phillip Murray Bandura takes inspiration from literal pieces of shit to broken glassware to create his art. The glass artist, a founding member of Calgary’s now dissolve BeeKingdom art collective, has sold his work to artists like Elton John and figures like the Aga Khan. We connected with Phillip to learn how he operates his magic.
Phillip Murray Bandura
PIB: Did you have any childhood experiences that shaped the way you chose to present art?
Phillip Murray Bandura: As a child, I would visit my aunt and uncle in Vancouver. One of my favourite things to do was to go watch the glassblowers on Granville Island. I would spend hours and hours watching the glassblowers making their work, and I knew it was something that I wanted to try. When I was 16 my parents got me an extended glassblowing class at the Alberta College of Art and Design. Once I tried glassblowing, I knew it was something that I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
PIB: What attracted you towards working with glass as a canvas?
PMB: Working with glass is like magic. For me, glassblowing is just as much about the process and the act of glassblowing itself as it is about my love of the finished artworks.
PIB: What inspired you to launch BeeKingdom, and what was your vision with that project?
PMB: Beekingdom was inspired by the desire of myself and two other glass students to have our own studio after graduating from the Alberta College of Art and Design.
In our third year of our bachelor's degrees, my grandmother had moved out of her home and my mom was in charge of renting the space. At the time, my mom was having a hard time figuring out who to rent to, so I suggested that myself and two fellow glass students could move in and turn the garage into a glassblowing studio. BeeKingdom Glass was in operation from 2005 until 2020. In 2021, I went back to school to get my MFA in glass at the Alberta University of the Arts and graduated this year.
PIB: Are there any artists who have influenced your style of work?
PMB: I'm influenced by a number of different artists that work with glass and other mediums. As for glass, the artist Dale Chihuly is a huge influence and has had a major part in creating the contemporary Studio glass movement. I've spent a lot of time at Pilchuck glass school and have met hundreds of different artists while taking classes and volunteering there. I'm influenced by Canadian satire and shows like “This Hour Has 22 Minutes” and “Kids in the Hall.” Likewise, I'm a huge fan of the queer art group “General Idea.” I am also inspired by conceptual artists like Iain Baxter and John Waters.
PIB: Is there any technique you like to showcase in your art?
PMB: One of the techniques that I really enjoy using is crackle glass. In my series "Cracked But Not Broken" you can see the results of crackle glass. How the technique works is you heat the glass, so it's nice and hot then you plunge the glass into cold water; the process will crack the outside of the glass while the inside stays molten, giving the glass a crackled effect. I love using this technique because it seems like something you shouldn't be able to do.
PIB: How does the theme of identity resonate with you and your work?
PMB: As a gay queer man, I believe that my identity is expressed through my work. I'm inspired by drag and camp and can see connections to the bravado and showmanship of glassblowing itself. Glass as a medium can be made into many different things, and expresses colour and light like nothing else.
PIB: What subject do you like to present in your work?
PMB: I like to explore many different themes in my work. Sometimes I start with a conceptual idea, other times I'm inspired by the qualities of glass itself.
My series “Shiny Shit” is about finding the shine in the shitty parts of life, which was inspired by seeing bags of dog poop people had left or thrown while on long walks during COVID.
My series “Is Glass Queer Or Is It Just Me?” is inspired by the queer characteristics I see in glass and myself.
Most of all I'm inspired by having fun with my work, I love the process of glassblowing and its creative possibilities.
PIB: What would be the legacy you hope for with your work?
PMB: I hope my work can bring people joy, beauty, and humour.
PIB: What is the message you want people to retain as they leave your exposition?
PMB: After people leave the show, I hope that I'm able to put a smile on their faces and make them laugh. I hope that they can see the beauty, humour, and absurdity in my work.
To experience Phillip’s work and the work of other featured artists, get your tickets for the Pride In Art event on May 26, 2023, here.
If you want to see more of Phillip Murray Bandura’s work or to get in touch with her:
Facebook: Phillip Murray Bandura
Instagram: @phillipnfriends
Website: phillipandfriends.ca
