In recent years, Ana Hopkins has specialised in the use of glass, mirror glass and lenses. Hoping to subvert the traditional and decorative uses of glass, she explores the physical qualities of the material and challenges the boundaries of its use. She works in the liminal region between sculpture and glassmaking to explore the possibility of creating multi-layered messages and metaphors through the use of material, drawing on her doctoral research on the legacy of Joseph Beuys and his ideas on social sculpture. Manchester (09/08/2011) (2012) is part of a series of works titled Riot Glass, made from glass collected from the street following the riots in Manchester in August 2011.