Luna Ryan

Luna Ryan first visited Australia in 1981 from the Netherlands during a journey discovering parts of the world other than Europe.

Initially, Luna attended courses in stained glass but after finding the format limiting, she enrolled at Australian National University School of Art Glass workshop in 1987, headed by Klaus Moje. After gaining skills in blowing glass and kiln casting, she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in 1990, and received the Australian National University Award.

In 2003 Ryan was invited to conduct a glass workshop at Tiwi Design, the art centre on Bathurst Island north of Darwin. Here she developed an artistic partnership with Tiwi artist Jock Puautjimi, working with him over the next 10 years. With the assistance of grants from the ACT Government and Visions Australia, they developed and toured their collaborative works under the Exhibition name Mamana Mamanta (Gradual friendship). The last step from their 10 years of collaboration was exhibited at the Canberra Glassworks, under the title Parlingarri Mamanta (long-term friendship) in 2013.

More recently, Ryan has been using recycled/found objects and recycled televisions screens in her art works. She designed and made the inaugural MAMA (music act music awards), and has been collaborating with various artists.

Over the last 7 years Ryan has been working, teaching, guiding and mentoring at the Canberra Glassworks. Ryan received the Canberra Critic Circle award twice, once alone and once together with Jock Puautjimi and her works are in collection of Canberra Museum and Gallery, with some of the collaborative works with Jock Puautjimi held in the National Gallery of Australia.