Story of the Piece: Reef Whispers

The reef is never still. It pulses with life — vast, intricate, and humming just beneath the surface. In this piece, Michelle captures not just the beauty of coral and sea creatures, but the living, breathing rhythm of the reef itself: the constant movement, the play of light, the silence filled with discovery.

Each glass-scape she creates is made to hold light — to shimmer, shift, and surprise as the day changes. Here, reclaimed glass plates become schools of fish; millefiori glass hides among driftwood roots like sea slugs or anemones. Real coral, shell, and reef stone form the bed of the piece, while carefully placed details invite second glances: tiny creatures, hidden moments, things you don’t see until you come closer.

Each time Michelle visits a reef, it greets her with something unseen — a flicker of light, a creature in passing, a quiet reminder of a reefs endless mystery.

These encounters are woven into her art like memory, like magic.

Reef Whispers doesn’t depict one place — it captures the spirit of many reefs, woven together through light, memory, and movement.. It is a tribute to the ever-changing wonder of reef life: a world where even the smallest shell has a story, and where the light itself becomes part of the dance.

Materials: Reclaimed glass plates, glass pebbles, natural coral, shells, driftwood, wire, resin, found and sculpted objects

Dimensions: 900mm diameter

POA