Garry Nash was born in Sydney in 1955 and moved to New Zealand in 1973. In 1981 he began working full-time at Sunbeam Glassworks (along with Ann Robinson and John Croucher, both also represented in the Queensland Art Gallery's Collection) and seven years later acquired ownership of the studio. Since 1979 he has worked exclusively with hot glass and continues to push boundaries by creating large scale works in a style influenced by New Zealand's environs.

Nash was first concerned with the tradition of the container, but after attending workshops by glass artists including Richard Marquis, Marvin Lipovsky, Billy Morris and Makoto Ito, he developed a sculptural approach. The work Cylinder was produced in New Zealand, a year prior to Nash's experimentations at Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State, USA, where he was artist-in-residence. The solemnity of the form, the restraint of the wheel cut decoration, and the tactility of the semi-matt acid etched finish combine to create a successful aesthetic union.