Sculptor Peter Zelle has worked with glass, clay and steel for over 40 years. One of his earliest inspirations was his visit as a young teenager to his great-great uncle and namesake, Peter Krasnow, the California modernist sculptor and painter (1886-1979). Zelle observed Krasnow, then in his 90s, in his studio, surrounded by art, still creating new work. Zelle had just begun working with clay, and, in that moment, chose the direction for his own life. Zelle received his BFA in Sculpture/Glass from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1987. He apprenticed for the sculptor Howard Ben Tre in Providence, RI, before returning to his native Minnesota to establish Zelle Glass Studio, a sculpture and production glass-blowing studio, in 1992. For the next 15 years, Zelle Glass Studio sold functional and decorative glass art in over 100 galleries throughout the United States. Peter created sculptural commissions and his own work during this time as well. In 2007, Zelle closed the glass-blowing part of his studio in order to focus exclusively on sculpture. In 2010, he began work on his Composition Series, six- to seven-foot cast-glass and steel sculptures. Working on such large pieces was a technical and conceptual challenge. It was also liberating, as it allowed Zelle to express himself more fully through gesture, mark making, and sculptural form, and to explore the power of color on a monumental scale. In 2024, Zelle began exploring ways to light his pieces from within. With first his Illuminated Sentinels and then his Celestial Bodies, he aimed to reduce his dependence on ambient light and instead to create work with its own internal light source. Figurative and volumetric, these new pieces are illuminated by adjustable interior lights, which allow him to experiment with the temperature and intensity of each piece. These lights bring a new life and energy to his work and help capture the individual expressive character of each sculpture. Zelle’s work has appeared in numerous fine art exhibitions, art fairs, private and corporate collections, and select public art projects.