Light is a magical thing, as we see it filtered through the leaves of the trees, or perhaps when by chance we see it scattered through something like a crystal or piece of glass. Capturing these elusive, ever-changing qualities of light is British artist Chris Wood, who uses dichroic glass as one of her materials in her sculpture work.

Wood's sculptures seem simple at first glance. Her works on panels often consist of pieces of dichroic glass -- a material first developed by NASA -- arranged in a variety of geometric configurations.

The dichroic glass splits the beams of light into different colours, depending on the angle of view. The aim, Wood says, is to lend "[order to] the accidental and makes us reflect on the experience of seeing."

In addition to her wall panels, Wood's larger installations have been seen in various places like homes, cruise ships and other institutions as centrepieces that absorb, reflect and transform light into glowing seeds, prompting us to look at this all-pervading luminosity in a different way.

It's wonderful to see eye-catching art made from dichroic glass. When it's insulated, dichroic glass can reduce heat transfer and reduce cooling costs, as it can help to passively cool a building down, while offering a unique, colour-changing aesthetic that isn't possible with unlike traditional clear glass.

Wood's simple but evocative works offer a glimpse into how there's more to light than meets our eyes -- from the hidden colours to the mere act of illuminating our vision. To see more, visit Chris Wood, on Instagram and on Facebook.

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