Poppies are a recurring motif for Brian Clarke, an artist who has pushed the boundaries of stained glass over his five-decade career, taking it beyond the church into museums, hotels, airports and beyond. With Remembrance Day approaching, The Wick is honing in on his 42-sq-m glass installation ‘Ardath’ at Newport Street Gallery, in which a painterly meadow of poppies and other flowers bathes the gallery in ever-changing light and colour. Eleven columns of mouth blown and etched glass are suspended from the ceiling, spanning the width of the entire room and forming a rich tapestry.

Clarke is often dubbed the ‘rock star of stained glass’ thanks to the musicians he has collaborated with (including Paul McCartney) and his pioneering approach to the medium. He is drawn to its ability to transform a space. ‘It’s a kinetic medium – it never stays still,’ he says. Ardath is the centrepiece of his solo exhibition, A Great Light, at Newport Street Gallery, which runs until 31 December 2023.

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