Thérèse Lahaie

Therese Lahaie grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, and studied fine art and biology at Emmanuel College. Drawn to the college chapel, she found herself enamored by the movement of light through its stained glass windows; their subtly shifting colors touched her deeply. Following this inspiration, she spent a year in London studying the history of medieval glass. Next, she sought a way to infuse the solace of light into her own work, and found it at the Massachusetts College of Art where she studied glass technology.

Light is her primary medium, in combination with other materials such as glass, which she has used as an reflective and transmissive canvas. She is a tinkerer, building kinetic sculptures that can be found in the permanent collections of the Crocker Art Museum (CA), Corning Museum of Glass Contemporary Collection (NY), the DiRosa Collection (CA), and the Glassmuseet Ebeltoft, (Denmark).

My current series of “Jewel Trees” is inspired by Tibetan Buddhist images of lineage trees that refer to the ancestry of revered spiritual teachers. These tree images overflowing with abundance are full of powerful symbols that have represented refuge and protection for over 2000 years.

The leaves forming the canopy of the tree is made of leaves in the form of jewels that reflects light and deflects darkness, providing protection for all living beings. These luminous trees have roots that go deep into the earth and a powerful trunk that is a conduit that allows a magical flow to link past, present and future.

The “Jewel Tree” media combines painted photocopies of plastic jewels collaged with images from Tibetan lineage trees.