Haig, Henry
Submitted by walwyn
Henry Haig (1930–2007) was a distinguished British stained-glass artist known for his innovative, expressive use of color and abstract design. Trained at Wimbledon School of Art and the Royal College of Art in London, Haig emerged in the mid-20th century as part of a new generation of glass artists who moved beyond traditional religious imagery toward modern, symbolic abstraction.1
Over a career spanning five decades, he created windows for churches, cathedrals, and public buildings across the UK—most notably at Clifton Cathedral in Bristol, where his bold compositions and interplay of light and texture transformed the architectural space. Haig’s work is celebrated for its deep spiritual resonance, luminous color harmonies, and integration with contemporary architecture.
In both sacred and secular contexts, Henry Haig’s stained glass reflects a profound sensitivity to light as a living element, making him one of the most respected and poetic voices in postwar British glass art.
Henry Haig’s style is defined by his expressive abstraction and mastery of light. He often worked in dalle de verre (slab glass), a technique using thick, colored glass pieces set in concrete or resin, which allowed him to sculpt light as much as color. The rough, jewel-like surfaces of these slabs created intense luminosity and shifting tonal effects throughout the day.
Haig’s designs rarely depicted literal figures; instead, he used abstract forms, rhythmic lines, and layered hues to evoke spiritual ideas—resurrection, creation, contemplation—through pure visual harmony. His compositions balanced strength and serenity, fusing modernist sensibility with deep religious feeling. Even in his more traditional leaded-glass works, Haig sought a unity between architecture, light, and spiritual atmosphere, making the window not a decoration, but an integral part of the building’s living space.
The windows on this page are in St Leonard's parish church, Priors Marston, Warwickshire. They were installed in 1993. The two best-known panels are usually called “Garden of Eden” (the north-wall window, donated by Mary Watson) and The Creed (the companion window); they were created as contemporary, non-figurative works to commemorate local life and faith. These windows are described as modern, abstract stained glass that complements the largely medieval/Victorian fabric of the parish church.