Centre for Australian Art

Australian Prints + Printmaking

Julio Santos

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Name

Julio Santos

Culture

Australian | Portuguese

Gender

Male

Birth date

1 June 1933

Birth place

Marinha Grande, Portugal View on map Close map

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Death date

April 2019

Death Place

New South Wales, Australia View on map Close map

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Movements

Australia from 1968

Occupations

Artist (glass) | Decorative / design artist

Summary

Worked: Portugal; Australia (NSW, VIC)

NGA IRN

18792

Context

Australia

Biography

Julio Santos

Julio Santos was born on 1 June 1933 in Marinha Grande, a village given over to glass-blowing in Portugal. Belonging to a glass-blowing family he was apprenticed in Marinha Grande aged twelve to the National Fabrica de Vidras, transferring to the Fabrica Angolana at twenty-one. In 1956 he became a qualified glass-blower and was employed at Vicris Glass Works and in 1962 moved to Dorsteenhutte Glass Works at Wolfach in the Black Forest, Germany where there is a large number of Portugese glass workers.

 After migrating to Australia and working in the steel industry at Wollongong he became a master blower at Philips Lighting Industries, Wallsend in 1968. In 1976 and 1977 he made glass designed by Les Blakebrough, taught glass-blowing part-time at the Newcastle College of Advanced Education from 1976-78, and in 1979 started teaching at the Caulfield (now Chisholm) Institute of Technology where he helped establish a glass workshop. His first solo exhibition was in 1979 and he has held several since.
 
CJM

Last Updated

25 Jul 2025