James Minson is a third-generation glassworker. His grandparents, who were scientific glassblowers in London, established the Minson Scientific Company in Sydney, Australia. Minson has degrees from the Sydney College of Art and Tama University in Tokyo, where he studied on a research scholarship from the Japanese Ministry of Education. He was a member of the staff at the Niijima Glass Art Center for one year, and he has taught workshops at the Pilchuck Glass School, the Penland School of Crafts, UrbanGlass, and Espace Verre in Montreal. His work is in many public and private collections.