Primarily a glass artist, Higginson explores culture, ritual, and personal narratives through the transformative qualities of hand-blown and cold-worked glass, often combined with other materials. Her practice reflects experiences of grief, loss, and mental and physical health challenges, blending traditional techniques with coded mark-making, personal symbols, and ritual objects to investigate themes of healing.
Works such as ‘Coping Mechanisms’ draw on folklore, mythology, and medical history, reimagining treatments for emotional and psychological ailments. Recurring symbolic elements—feathers, mirrors, and engraved marks—reference their roles in fairytales and rituals as connections to other worlds or tools for shifting perception.
“Mark-making is central to my work, functioning as both personal expression and communication. These symbols echo their historical use in rituals, creating a talismanic language that resonates instinctively with viewers. I have become deeply inspired by the symbolism of feathers and birds in mythology and folklore, often as symbols of transformation and messengers.”
For Hidden Door’s 2025 Festival Higginson presents Arrows of Time, a new installation exploring memory and perception through the symbolism of arrows and feathers. These “folk-futurist” objects represent personal experience and the trails of memory.
Find out more at vickyhigginson.com or instagram.com/vickyhigginson
