



b. 1951
Based in Chicago, IL, contemporary artist Michael Thompson creates unique kites, collages and mixed media works assembled from material fragments of past & present.
His body of work spans across a range of art forms, from experimental postal art to paper collage to sculptures assembled from scrap metal and ceramic shards.
Regardless of the medium, each of Thompson’s works is layered with fragments of past lives and bygone memories, measured in the form of antique fabric remnants, printed ephemera and other found elements collected during his travels.
Although practiced for centuries, Chinese glass-making gained prominence during the Qing-dynasty (1644–1911) with the introduction of Peking glass. Adapting Italian techniques, workshops in the Imperial Palace began creating layered and intricately-carved glass pieces that mimicked the translucency of jade, semiprecious stones, and rare jewels.