An employee in a bookshop adjusts packaged cigarettes which have to be sold in identical olive-brown packets bearing the same typeface and largely covered with graphic health warnings, with the same style of writing so the only identifier of a brand will be the name on the packet, in Sydney on December 1, 2012. A new world-first law forcing tobacco companies to sell cigarettes in identical packets came into effect Saturday in Australia in an effort to strip any glamour from smoking and prevent young people from taking up the habit. (Photo by William West/AFP Photo)

California-based glass artist Loren Stump specializes in a form of glasswork called murrine, where rods of glass are melted together and then sliced to reveal elaborate patterns and forms. While the murrina process appeared in the Mideast some 4,000 years ago, Stump has perfected his own technique over the past 35 years to the point where he can now layer entire portraits and paintings in glass before slicing them to see the final results. His most complex piece to date is a detailed interpretation of Leonardo da Vinci’s Virgin of the Rocks, which involved hundreds of glass components that were melted into a final piece.

Sculptor Ben Young (previously) just unveiled a collection of new glass sculptures prior to the Sculpture Objects Functional Art + Design (SOFA) Fair in Chicago next month. Young works with laminated clear float glass atop cast concrete bases to create cross-section views of ocean waves that look somewhat like patterns in topographical charts. The self-taught artist is currently based in Sydney but was raised in Waihi Beach, New Zealand, where the local landscape and surroundings greatly inspired his art.

Glass artist Kiva Ford draws from his vast experience in scientific glassblowing to create perfect miniatures of wine glasses, beakers, and ribbon-striped vases, some scarcely an inch tall. A member of the American Scientific Glassblowers Society, Kiva creates instruments for scientists who require one-of-a-kind designs for various experiments. The same techniques and tools used for scientific equipment also apply to his artistic practice including the miniature works you see here, as well as larger sculptures, and ornate drinkware.

Animal rights activists from the group “Animal Equality” are covered with plastic sheets to represent meat packaging as they stage a protest during “Day Without Meat” event in Barcelona, Spain, on March 20, 2013. (Photo by Lluis Gene/AFP Photo)

Donna Dotan has a self-described obsession with symmetry. Her prowess with architectural photography is well applied in her personal project, “Reflections from Above”, where she captures striking images of New York City reflected in the glass of skyscrapers. She describes the project as a treasure hunt, and says that she is looking for an all-glass skyscraper to add more reflections to her series. (Photo by Donna Dotan)

Glass artist K. William LeQuier‘s glass work is inspired by the drama of the natural world and its everyday events. His sculptures reflect this inspiration by mimicking the natural movements of the sea and its creatures. Each sculpture is held steady by a simple black armature, a hint to the artist’s hand involved in the creation of each glass sculpture.

People walk on a sightseeing platform in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province, China, August 1, 2016. China has opened a 100-metre-long glass skywalk stretching around a cliff on the side of the Tianmen Mountain. The skywalk provides a view of a 300-metre drop and overlooks Tongtian Avenue, a mountain road with 99 turns that snakes up the mountain. When translated in English, it means “Avenue to the Sky”. (Photo by Reuters/Stringer)