I spend a lot of time waxing poetic about artists whose work I haven’t see in person. But today, I am thrilled to bring to you the work of one of my all-time favorite artists, Chris Ahalt. His beautiful creatures are made of hand-sculpted borosilicate glass and hand-forged copper ribbon, and they are so heart-breakingly beautiful, even though I’ve seen them in person on a number of occasions, I cannot find words to do them justice.

When I attended my very first Architectural Digest Design Show, I was honestly stopped dead in my tracks by this magnificent creature at the Chesterfield Gallery booth.  I got to appreciate her (I have decided it’s a her) at both the 2015 and 2016 Architectural Digest Design Shows. Then, out of the blue, I received an invitation to the New York opening of the Chesterfield’s New York gallery. As a sometimes art blogger, I occasionally get such invitations, but this one included the name Chris Ahalt, which made me sit up and take notice.

Of all the artists whose work I’ve ever profiled, these pieces are the hardest for me to resist. If we weren’t trying to save for retirement, his work would be MINE. I swear the purple elephant has haunted me for more than two years. Torture.

If you find yourself in New York, the Chesterfield Gallery is absolutely worth a visit. The space is lovely, as are the people, and the pieces really must be seen in person to be properly appreciated. The photos I took at the opening are here, in case you’re interested.

All images property of Chris Ahalt (or the Chesterfield Gallery).