Fused: a journey from artists in the National Art Glass Collection

• Emma Varga Red Red Sky Burning #1, cast and fused glass, 102 layers of bullseye glass sheets; glass mosaic elements and coloured frits assembled on each sheet.

Cultural Background
My ancestry is Mid-European (Hungarian / Serbian / Yugoslav)

Place of Origin
Ada, Northern Yugoslavia

Start of Migration Journey
Belgrade, Yugoslavia, 30th July 1995

Place of Arrival in Australia
Sydney, NSW, 31st July 1995

First Home in Australia
Dee Why, NSW

First job in Australia
I have been a freelance glass artist, since arriving here in 1995

Any glass related objects that you brought with you? And still have?
I brought eight sculptural objects from my 'Memories' series (1991-95) and six individual objects representing my work from 1979-1991

Emma's Story

I was born in Northern Yugoslavia; my father is Hungarian and my mother Serbian. In 1975 I graduated in Ceramic Sculpture and Glass Design from the University of Applied Arts in Belgrade; it was a five year very intensive course. After I completed my studies at the age of twenty three I was offered a job as a designer in the Serbian Glass Factory. I refused the position, which was a smart decision because it meant I could keep my freedom. In this way I was able to work as a freelance designer offering my projects, which meant they took what they wanted and I could execute my own artwork and design series. I lived 200 kilometers away in Belgrade and drove down one week a month to produce the glass using a crew from the factory's' highly skilled glass workers. This proved to be very successful and was when I started to collaborate with Sebastian Gallery in Dubrovnik producing work for them.
When the war broke out in Yugoslavia, I was caught completely unaware as I had been totally focused on my artwork. I got into trouble when I was accused of working with a Croatian Sebastian Gallery, and almost killed in the factory in 1991. I hid my children with my parents and lived in Belgrade in fear for a while; this was the only time in my life I kept my mouth shut, I had to become "invisible". After three years of war, I started to consider leaving.
Australia was my choice; I could have gone to Germany with the contacts I already had or New York as I have a sister there. When Australia was mentioned, at first I thought it was too far. I came over for one month in Christmas 1994 to have a look around. I instantly fell in love with this country even from the air, the sky was blue and there were special cloud formations, which you can see in some of my work. I felt like I was in heaven, one hour later we flew over Ayers Rock at the beginning of sunset from above, it was so beautiful with the purple and red that I was taken. Two hours later I saw the Opera House and Harbour Bridge and I said this is where I want to live, even before touching the ground. It was such a contrast to the war that I had just left. The sunshine, peaceful, beautiful, relaxed people and the level of sophistication and culture impressed me.
I had taken back some books about Australia to prepare my two sons who were nine and eleven. In 1995 I migrated to Australia with my family; the boys were completely open hearted, which was my attitude. I have since worked as a freelance artist also designing and making my glass objects for galleries and glass design series for outlets such as Empire Homewares. 
In 2004 I established a project called 'Something Different – Creative Laboratory' to bring together Australian and overseas established glass artists. I worked for twelve months in preparation; works created during the project were exhibited at Quadrivium Gallery in Sydney. Also at that time I was asked to select ten artists to showcase a cross section of Australian Glass at the Glass Pyramid Gallery, Budapest. I have had many exhibitions both locally and internationally and a long association with Axia Modern Art Gallery in Melbourne and Object in Sydney since 1995, I also exhibit my work through Sabbia Gallery in Sydney. Recently I had five pieces acquired by the Palm Springs Art Museum in the USA from the 'Masters 2007' exhibition at Sabbia.
In 2006 I had a retrospective solo exhibition at the Museum of Applied Art in Belgrade that was opened by the Australian Ambassador, and I was introduced as an Australian artist to the audience in my country of origin.
The piece that has been acquired by Wagga Wagga Art Gallery is part of a series called 'Story About Red'. This particular piece 'Red Red Sky Burning' is dedicated to the Canberra bushfires in 2003, which completely horrified me. It was the first time I felt like I did during the war, like I had people there who might die and I could not do anything to help them. For me this is a very important piece to go into the national glass collection.