Sarah Fishbein

What first drew you to the medium of glass mosaic, and how did you start incorporating Pop Art influences into it?

I discovered mosaics in my early twenties, having grown up in a crafty household, I dabbled in sewing, painting, and other traditional mediums, but thanks to a rainy weekend, I found myself in a local craft store and I stumbled across a book on mosaics. From the moment I cracked my first tile into tiny shards, I knew I’d found my match.

At first, I started making mosaics, using ceramic tiles, on flower pots, tabletops and any surface I could find. I soon tired of traditional mosaic themes, such as flowers, landscapes or decorative patterns. I was craving something with a bit more edge and energy and that helped me transitioned to glass. The colors were bolder, more vibrant, and had a sparkle that resonated with me.

I’ve always been captivated by Pop Art, often finding myself lost in museum exhibits or art books. I was drawn to the bold lines, the emotional punch, the unapologetic drama the artists were trying to convey.  I began to experiment in that direction, creating glass lips and hearts using bright color palettes, and eventually added words. I wanted to say something with my work.

While locked down during COVID, my husband pulled out a stack of old romance comic books he had collected and immediately, it was like everything came together.  I realized I could merge emotion with expression—pairing what I was feeling with a look, a phrase, a face and the vivid colors and lines of Pop Art. That’s when I knew I’d found my direction.

Your work is heavily inspired by 1950s–60s romance comics. What about that era speaks to you emotionally or artistically?

The comics of that time were beautifully drawn and overly dramatic. Over-the-top in the best way. Artists could capture an entire story in just a few panels, expressing everything from heartbreak and longing to joy and resilience. But what I found especially interesting through my research is that many of these stories—centered around women—were actually created by the same men behind Marvel and DC superheroes. So, while the imagery was striking, the narrative and roles were often shaped through a male lens.

That realization made it even more important for me to reclaim and reframe these visuals. I want to flip the script—to tell these stories from the perspective of strong, complex, powerful women. I also weave in themes that never would have appeared in those original comics, like LGBTQ+ representation and characters who defy the era’s gender norms. It’s about honoring the beauty of the past while rewriting it to reflect a more inclusive, honest, and empowered point of view to match my emotions and feelings for today.

I want people to see themselves in my mosaics, to feel that the emotions and characters reflect something true in their own lives. That’s why the visual language of this era was the perfect foundation for my work.

Sarah Fishbein | Beauty Is…

How do you choose the specific moments or expressions to freeze in your mosaics? Is there a storytelling method behind your compositions?

Every mosaic I make starts with a moment from my own life. Before returning to art, I spent years as a video producer—often in male-dominated spaces. Over time, I realized how much silent frustration I was carrying—being talked over, overlooked, and pushed aside. I started keeping a list on my phone—phrases I wished I had said, emotions I was not allowed to express out loud.

Those phrase became the foundation of my work. I pair them with bold, expressive faces that mirror what I was feeling. One piece came from a time I was constantly battling doctors and insurance companies. I had so much anger and the phrase “All I FEEL IS RAGE!” kept repeating in my head. Those words became the basis for a bold, colorful image of a woman with a fierce expression and a single tear. She’s not weak—she’s powerful, even in her sadness.

My mosaics aren’t just about injustice. They’re about real moments—being in love, feeling cheeky, proud, or vulnerable. Sometimes they capture quiet slices of life, like a gay couple deciding what’s for dinner. Not a protest—just presence. Just being. And to me, that’s just as powerful.

Can you describe your process from idea to finished work? How do you select glass, colors, and layout?

Each mosaic I create usually begins with a phrase, an emotion, or a comment that’s been living in my head—something I just can’t shake. From there, I dive into research, often exploring old comics and vintage styles for inspiration. I start collaging and sketching digitally, building a visual that captures the essence of what I’m feeling. Once the concept feels right, I project the sketch onto a hard substrate, tracing the outline to create the foundation of the mosaic.

My process blends stained glass techniques with traditional mosaic methods. I create a custom glass palette—selecting different types of glass for specific effects: mirrored, metallic, and glitter glass to reflect light, and opaque stained glass for outlines and accents. Every color choice is intentional. I want the eyes to shine, the lips to catch the light—while the background and skin tones take on a quieter, supporting role.

Once the palette is set, I hand-cut each piece of glass, starting with the bold black outlines. I use a combination of stained glass tools, mosaic nippers, saws, and grinders to shape and refine even the most difficult cuts. After outlining, I fill in each section with carefully chosen and cut color pieces, layering emotion and precision into every inch.

The final—often overlooked—step is grouting. I hand-dye each grout color to complement the surrounding glass and bring out the vibrancy of every detail. From concept to completion, each mosaic takes around 150 hours of focused, hands-on work.

Sarah Fishbein | Comic eyes

Your mosaics seem to interact with light in a unique way. How intentional is that aspect of your work?

Glass is a wonderfully dynamic medium—it feels like it has a life of its own. As it interacts with light and its surroundings, it almost becomes a character in the piece. My favorite place to hang a mosaic is across from a wall of windows. Throughout the day, something magical happens: in the morning, the artwork might seem calm and quiet, but as the light shifts, it begins to sparkle. A glint in the eye, a shimmer on the lips, a subtle glow in the background—it’s always changing.

My goal is to create work that’s truly interactive, something that never looks exactly the same twice. Every piece of glass I use is carefully chosen with this in mind. The eyes are always the centerpiece—they need to draw you in, to hold your attention. Even the black glass, though it doesn’t shine, plays a vital role. It acts as the structure—the bold lines that bring everything together. Each element serves a purpose, helping the mosaic come alive in whatever space it lives.

What emotional response do you hope to evoke in viewers when they see your work for the first time?

It’s always fascinating to watch people interact with my work. The first reaction is usually a simple “Wow.” The second—almost always— “How?” But the moment that stays with me most is when someone steps back, puts a hand to their chest, and you can see they’ve been emotionally moved. That’s when I know the piece has really connected.

I love when people bring their own stories into the mosaic. While my work begins with something personal to me, I’m intentional about leaving space—just enough ambiguity—for others to find their own meaning. What the piece represents to me might be entirely different from what someone else sees, and that’s the beauty of it. It becomes their story too.

Sarah Fishbein | Enough | 2025

Has your identity or personal life influenced the narratives in your pieces?

My personal life and identity are the foundation of my work. From growing up in a small, blue-collar town in Ohio to navigating a range of jobs and building a career, to marrying my life and business partner and raising our child—each chapter has shaped who I am and the stories I tell through my art. I’m deeply passionate about the resilience of women and the challenges they face every single day. Through my work, I hope to create a world that taps into that inner strength—one that inspires both women and men to push past limitations and step into the fullest version of themselves.