Hand Bent Glass Neon mounted on Wood, 48 x 48 x 3.25”, 2025

Whenever I see a peony, I think of my childhood—stepping out the back door and glancing over to see if they were in bloom yet. It feels like a gift to freeze this bloom in time, one I snapped a photo of while admiring it this past spring.

The process began with that photograph. I drew on top of the image to create my pattern, then bent many complex forms from straight tubes of glass. Placed together, they create this representation of a peony.

This piece was designed and made by Chloe Kottwitz and was exhibited in her solo exhibition, Surroundings, at The Black Iris in Richmond,Va from September 5, 2025-September 28th, 2025.