Biography

Kelly O’Dell is a contemporary glass artist known for her sculptural works that draw from natural history, evolutionary forms and the fragile beauty of the living world. Born in Hawai‘i and raised in the Pacific Northwest, she carries both island and coastal influences into her work. O’Dell works primarily in blown and sculpted glass, often incorporating intricate surface carving and layered coloration to evoke botanical, aquatic and fossil-like structures.

A graduate of the University of Washington, she has worked with and studied under many leading figures in the glass community, including at Pilchuck Glass School and throughout the broader American studio glass movement. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is included in significant private and public collections. O’Dell’s sculptural forms invite close attention to environmental cycles, ancestral memory and the interconnectedness of living systems.

STATEMENT

My work draws from the natural world and the stories we carry within it. I am inspired by evolution, preservation and the fragile balance that all species share. Through blown and sculpted glass, I explore forms that feel both ancient and alive. Many of my pieces reference fossils, seeds, shells or bones, symbols of what endures and what disappears.

Glass offers a way to honor these forms through transparency, luminosity and transformation. I approach each piece as a conversation between material and idea, allowing heat, gravity and breath to guide the process. Whether creating work that reflects personal history or the greater narrative of the natural world, my intention is to create objects that encourage connection, care and curiosity.