An exhibition to celebrate the life of leading glass designer and artist, Kathryn M Holford
Kathryn M Holford, formerly known as Katy Holford
Fen Ditton Gallery, Cambridge, stages a major exhibition to celebrate the life of one of the UK’s leading glass designers, who stepped away from the hustle of commercial design at the height of her career to find peace in her own creative practice. The exhibition, which opens at the gallery in March 2024, will showcase some of Kathryn’s most significant works in glass and paint, including a rare re-issue of a limited-edition vase in collaboration with master-glassmaker Bob Crooks, with whom Kathryn worked with on many of her designs.
Kathryn Margaret Holford led a remarkable life as an accomplished artist, sculptor, and award-winning international designer. Born on 7th June 1962, in Fen Ditton, Cambridge, Kathryn's artistic journey began under the alias Katy Holford. Accepted to the Royal College of Art, she demonstrated exceptional talent, earning recognition early in her career and was awarded the Rosenthal Young Designer of the Year Award in 1988.
Kathryn etched her name among renowned brands, contributing her skills to household names and luxury brands like Wedgwood, Atlantis Crystal, and Perrier Jouet. Her bespoke pieces and sculptures grace the rooms of The Savoy, Claridge’s and Malmaison Hotels, as well as in Royal Palaces and private residences globally. They also appear in numerous television shows and movies, including Cumbria Crystal designs in James Bond and Downton Abbey.
In 2004, Kathryn embraced a new challenge by winning the Eureka initiative sponsored by Laurent-Perrier. Subsequently, she took on the role of CEO and Creative Director at Cumbria Crystal, where she oversaw a bustling studio and continued to create beautiful designs in glass. Her dedication and innovative approach earned her accolades and awards, solidifying her legacy in the design world.
During Kathryn’s years of glass design, she worked with one of the UK's most established glassmakers, Bob Crooks. Bob has remaining in his studio a cast designed by Kathryn and enough of her materials to make a limited-edition of 10 vases which will be exclusively available at the exhibition.
Kathryn’s artistic journey reached a turning point in 2016 when, upon moving to Normandy with Mark, she decided to step away from the pressures of the commercial design world and in her own words taken from a diary entry;
“I discovered the latent desire to paint… The desire had been pushed down so deep when I was very young that it took some 50-odd years of life, therapy, and a need for a life change to surface… Being a beginner again was hard. I had been at the top of my profession just a few months before. My ego was in outrage. However, what I loved the intimacy of painting. It is just me and the canvas. No clients, marketeers, factories, and workshops to get in between me and my creative process.”
In Mark’s words, “Kathryn was the most creative force I have known in my life, and I say this not as her husband and friend but as a fellow creative. She was courageous in both her work and her life. We supported each other’s creativity with an unrivalled commitment. Together, we chose creativity over all other concerns and values during what became her last few years. The time we devoted to each other in Normandy and East Anglia produced some of her finest work. Her passion to continually start again, as though with a beginner’s mind, was irrepressible. She was drawn to the light, in glass, in paint, in life itself. Her mission was to create heaven on earth. No small ambition. But nothing drawn from the ego. She never pretended art or design. She was art and design – she embodied pure creativity.”
Fen Ditton Gallery manager, Hannah Munby comments; “It feels very poignant to be celebrating Kathryn’s life with this exhibition here at Fen Ditton Gallery, not only because it is remarkably in the village where Kathryn was born and spent her first years, but also because she and Mark were regular visitors and supporters of the gallery before she passed away. Kathryn was always enthusiastic about the work we did here, so it feels right to honour her with this show, back in the village where it all began for her.”
Exhibition opening times:
9th March - 1st April 2024
Open Thursdays 11am - 4pm (please note that due to unforeseen circumstances the gallery will be closed on Thursday 14th March)
Weekends 10am - 5pm
Easter Sunday: 10am - 2pm
Easter Monday: 10am - 5pm
Other times by appointment, contact info@fendittongallery.com to book