What happens when art merges aesthetics with science? Judith Schaechter answers this question with a 2.4-meter-tall stained-glass dome created during her residency at the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics. Exhibited at the Museum of Craft and Design (MCD) in Judith Schaechter: Super/Natural, this ambitious show explores the universality of natural elements, patterns, and ornamentation as a meditation on beauty.
At the heart of the exhibition, the Super/Natural dome, designed to envelop a single viewer, represents a three-layered cosmos. The work embodies biophilic design principles, which advocate for nature’s restorative effects on human consciousness, used in spaces like hospitals and offices to reduce stress and foster calm. Comprising 65 vibrant stained-glass panels filled with fantastical insects, plants, birds, and animals, the dome places the viewer at its center, inviting reflection on how we neurologically and psychologically experience our environment (the interior) and how we project ourselves into it (the exterior).
Schaechter reimagines the traditional medium of stained glass with innovation. Using “flash glass”—a technique of layering paper-thin colored glass onto a transparent base—she employs sandblasting, etching, and color layering to achieve rich, nuanced tones and painterly effects. Alongside the dome, the exhibition features seven additional works that share themes of natural elements, patterns, and ornamentation.
This exhibition serves as both a literal and metaphorical lens, prompting contemplation on how beauty, imagination, and nature intertwine to shape human experience.
Exhibition Details:
Artist: Judith Schaechter
Work: Super/Natural
Venue: Museum of Craft and Design (MCD), San Francisco
Dates: On view until February 8, 2026
