Emmett Barnacle was born in Providence Rhode Island in 1988. He began working in glass in 2007 with Pean Doubulyu Glass and and then with artist Steven Weinberg  before attending Rhode Island School of Design and graduating in 2014 with a BFA in Glass. After graduation he began his own studio in Pawtucket Rhode Island. Other than working on his own work Emmett has worked as a technical assistant for glass artist and sculptor Daniel Clayman for the past few years as well as other freelance work for other artist.

My work focuses on architecture, which, due to my family’s involvement in real estate, has always had a significant influence on me. Through this lens, my work explores a range of subjects from personal experience and the concept of home to human habitats and our relationships with our surroundings. Featuring architectural scenes cast in glass, my work seeks to merge elements from the past with concepts from fiction and the imagination, creating playful moments in lieu of traditional renditions. I’m drawn to imagery that evokes a sense of arrival and leaving, implicitly asking, “Where are we going?” I celebrate color, texture, and beauty through ancient ruins, doors, windows, blueprints, lighthouses, ships, and other symbols tied to my New England roots.