Originally from Portsmouth, England, Emma studied glass at the University of Sunderland in England, where she gained a BA (hons), before emigrating to New Zealand.
Her work has won major national and international awards, and is held in a number of national and international public and private collections. She was the first New Zealand artist to win the Australian RFC Glass Prize (now Ranamok). Her work has also featured on a limited edition of New Zealand postage stamps.
She has exhibited widely and in recent years has been invited to present exhibitions in New Zealand, Australia, Denmark, America and Hong Kong as well making numerous contributions to group exhibitions. Most recently she has been commissioned to make a piece for the Palm Springs Art Museum’s inaugural exhibition, alongside 40 other prominent international glass artists. In 2006 Emma presented a hugely successful exhibition in Chicago and New York.
She has accepted invitations to teach in both Australia (2005) and Canada (2006).