Sallie Portnoy was born in Mid-West Canada and is currently residing in Sydney and practicing full time in glass and clay. After extensive education in ceramics and glass, cast glass sculpture, both kiln-fired and hot cast from the furnace is her specialty.

Much of Portnoy's imagery is based on mythology and inspired by mystical stories and abstract thought. The figure in her glass pieces has been used as a universal symbol of the vessel and the soul, and is a symbiosis of the female form and the artistic investigation of positive and negative space.

She has been the recipient of numerous awards and prizes, and has been a participant in juried exhibitions throughout Australia and overseas from 1985 - 2011. She has been involved in numerous commissions Australia-wide and internationally, including Canada and the US. Her work is in the permanent collections of QLD Regional Art Gallery & The Museum of the Northern Territory Darwin. She is well-known for her private and public commissioned work.