Glass wares by Julio Santos, Australian

Julio Santos was born in Marinha Grande Portugal in 1933, a village with a long history of the ancient craft of glass blowing. At the age of twelve he became an apprentice in the National Fabrica de Vidros in Marinha Grande.

By 1956 he was a fully qualified glass blower and began work at the Vicris Glass Works and in 1962, he became Master Glass Blower at the Dorsteenhutte Glass Works of Wolfach in the Black Forest of Germany, where he worked for five years.

Julio Santos arrived in Australia, January 1968, with his wife and son. When he first came arrived he worked with BHP in Port Kembla as a railway labourer for six months then moved to Newcastle and worked at Phillips Lighting Industries where he became a Master Glass Blower. From 1976-78 he taught part time at College of Advanced Education in Newcastle and in 1979, more... he worked as a tutor in Glass Blowing at Caulfield Institute of Technology in Melbourne (now Chisholm) where he helped to establish the glass workshop until 1982.  

Julio Santos then moved to Tomago, a suburb of Newcastle and set up his own studio. In 1998 he returned to Portugal as the guest of honour at the 2nd Biennale for glass artists. That same year he was asked to return to receive the award for the Most Internationally Recognised Master Glass Blower of Portugal.

Julio Santos has had many exhibitions both locally and internationally and in 2002 he collaborated with Stephen Skillitzi to create a show titled 'War of the Worlds'. less...