Tyra Oseng-Rees is no stranger to the hot seat at WNS meetings. As chair, she led the successful campaign to restore the Norwegian Church to community control. She also steered the society through the difficult years of the pandemic. Not surprisingly, last year Tyra stepped down as chair to spend more time with her family and her growing business.
Now WNS has invited her back to talk about that work. She’ll be our guest at our monthly meeting at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay, at 2pm on Sunday 24 March.
Tyra is a glass artist who makes art and architectural pieces from recycled materials. She recently made a plaque which hangs in the Norwegian Church to remember Karen Allen, a former manager of the church and active member of WNS.
Tyra says that as a designer in the creative industry, she feels there needs to be an emphasis on sustainability and the circular economy. Using waste glass as a raw material in her creations saves resources and energy, and is a contribution to reducing carbon emissions and tackling global warming. Tyra aims to break down the silo mentality between different disciplines by integrating the business into various sectors such as arts, education, construction, architecture, and the public and private sectors.
Tyra originates from Saltdal in Nordland, northern Norway. She came to Wales to study product design 20 years ago, and never left. She is now married with two children and firmly settled in Swansea. In 2017 she founded Oseng-Rees Reflection Ltd, which is the sole UK producer of architectural panels made from 100% waste glass, with notable installations at Cornell University and the Turner Museum of Glass. She has since gained a PhD in fused recycled glass material, and has been recognized as Bespoke Artist of the Year for 2023/24 and with the Female Entrepreneur Award for Swansea and West Wales in 2022.
Tyra’s talk will take place in the function room at the Norwegian Church. Coffee and other refreshments will be available from the cafe before and throughout the afternoon. Guests are welcome.
Welsh Norwegian Society 