Veins of Air

Akie Haga is a Canberra-based glass artist. With over 25 years of experience, she specialises in flameworking to create sculptures, installations and glass wearables that emphasise fine detailed forms. 

Born in Japan and trained in the UK and Australia, Akie studied at the ANU School of Art & Design. In 2006, she established an independent flameworking studio, which remains central to her work today. 

While she has long developed a practice in wearable glass, in recent years her focus has expanded to include sculpture and installation. Her current work draws on close observation of plants and the quiet familiarity of natural forms, translating these subtle impressions into glass. 

Akie has exhibited across Canberra and Australia. Most recent exhibitions include Soft Echo, National Botanic Gardens ACT (2025); So-Sei, Canberra Glassworks (2025). She is also a shortlisted artist for the 2026 Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize.  

‘This installation explores how air, though invisible, can be understood through its effects. Movement is suggested through the arrangement of slender, grass-like forms, where subtle shifts in position and spacing evoke the way plant life responds to wind. 

The work is informed by close observation of everyday surroundings, where such gentle movements are often overlooked. Rather than being replicated directly, these observations are translated into simplified glass forms that emphasise rhythm, spacing and balance. Stillness becomes a way of holding movement, allowing the viewer to sense the presence of air through form alone. 

As part of the installation, a series of related works draws on recognisable plant forms, translated into refined and distilled glass structures. Together, they extend this close attention to observing, inviting a quiet recognition of familiar elements from the natural world.’