Judson Guérard is a contemporary glass artist based near Penland School of Craft in the mountains of Western North Carolina, about 60 miles northeast of Asheville. Known for his distinctive sculptural forms and masterful blown-glass technique, Guérard creates work that reflects both technical precision and a deep awareness of natural rhythms. His practice centers on the physical and philosophical qualities of molten glass—its liquidity, unpredictability, and capacity to hold movement within form.

Guérard describes working with hot glass as a “melding of hand and mind,” a process that demands presence, focus, and fluid responsiveness. For him, glass is a material that sustains curiosity, continually pointing beyond the immediate act of making toward something more exploratory and intuitive. This approach underpins several of his major bodies of work, each of which highlights a unique dialogue between motion, structure, and meaning.

His Shunyata Series draws from the Buddhist concept of emptiness, using fused and frosted shards to create luminous vessels that embody negative space as their defining element. In contrast, the River Rocks Series reflects Guérard’s close observation of the river beside his studio. These works capture the swirling, eddying flow of water, using the molten state of glass to evoke movement before it solidifies around smooth rocks held within the vessel.

The Chaos Series challenges traditional expectations of glass as a pristine, transparent medium. Instead, Guérard emphasizes contrast, texture, and density, revealing subtle luminosity when illuminated. Through layered color and surface interaction, these vessels present a more introspective and tactile experience of glass.

Beyond sculptural series, Guérard creates refined goblets—objects he compares to calligraphy for their rhythmic repetition and disciplined precision. He also produces a broad range of ornaments and small-scale “doodles,” exploratory works that serve as studies in color, form, and technique. These intimate pieces often evolve into larger sculptural forms or remain intentionally compact to preserve the integrity of the gesture.

Guérard’s work has been widely exhibited and collected, resonating with audiences drawn to its organic lines, material intelligence, and conceptual depth. Rooted in a region known for its craft tradition, yet individual in voice and vision, his glasswork bridges contemporary expression with the time-honored discipline of studio glass.