Traver Gallery - Seattle is proud to present Second Harvest, a solo exhibition of cast glass vessels by New Zealand-based artist Layla Walter. Adorned inside and out with bas-relief blossoms, birds, and meditative woven structures, the vessels parlay multiple strands of influence into her work including Walter's background as a weaver and the qualities of the locally produced lead crystal glass she utilizes.

Second Harvest reflects Walter's home in New Zealand with the garden at the point of fruition, full of ripening plants and trees: citrus, black fig, pomegranate, banana, raspberry, fijoa, nectarine, apple and guava. This is reflected in the sumptuously colored, incandescent kiln cast glass vessels adorned with contemplative motifs carved into the interior and exterior surfaces of the vessel.

Walter's vessels are "lost wax" cast, a technique originally developed for casting bronze sculpture. Using a series of molds, she hand carves details into a wax form that is then melted out and replaced by molten glass.  After six days in the kiln, a vessel emerges. Each piece is then painstakingly polished and sanded by hand, resulting in the soft-yet-detailed quality for which Layla's work is known.

After graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Design from Auckland's Unitec in 1998, Layla Walter was awarded a scholarship to Pilchuck Glass School, and received the Saxe Award for best new artist. Since then she has boosted her international profile by taking part in exhibitions in Australia, Denmark, Japan, and the United States.  In addition to maintaining her own studio, Layla has worked for several years as an assistant to renowned New Zealand artist Ann Robinson. Second Harvest is Walter's fourth solo exhibition with Traver Gallery.