Why am I also known as
"Hemlock"?
Poison hemlock is plant that grows in abundance on a farm where I spent my summers as a kid. Its appearance is beautiful but can be dangerous when handled without care; just like the sheets and shards of glass that I work with.
the studio
b. 1984 Montreal
Jesse Olwen developed a passion for stained glass during high school, where he honed his skills working part-time for a local artisan. This early experience paved the way for his academic pursuits at Dawson College and Concordia University, culminating in a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a focus on painting, drawing and sculpture. During university he obtained a year-long international exchange with the University of Singapore to study architecture and travel throughout Southeast Asia.
Post-graduation, Olwen embarked on a transformative journey to South Korea to teach English. After more travel and a long hiatus from glass he returned to Canada in 2014 to reignite his passion for the craft and began setting up a modest studio a couple of years later.
A pivotal moment came in 2018 when Olwen received a glass kiln from his former stained glass mentor whom he'd worked for during high school. This marked the beginning of his journey into self-taught glass painting, a pursuit that evolved with a scholarship from the American Glass Guild in 2019 to attend an introduction to glass painting course with Debora Coombs.
2025 --- New Voices In Glass Glass Art Society
2024 --- James C. Whitney Memorial Scholarship American Glass Guild
2019 --- James C. Whitney Memorial Scholarship American Glass Guild
2014 --- People's Choice Award Off The Wall Street Art Competition, Tasmania
2013 --- International Emerging Artist Award (finalist) IAEE Golden 10, Dubai
2010 --- Visual Arts Courtyard Sculpture Competition Concordia University, Montreal
2006 --- Myles Tyrrell Purchase Award Dawson College, Montreal