Venetian-born artist Massimo Micheluzzi has had a lifelong love affair with glass, turning the classic material into dynamic contemporary art over the years. London gallery Willer is celebrating this bond with a summertime exposé of 25 of his vessels.
Starting his story with the likes of master glassmakers Venini back in the 1990s, he has since been experimenting with his own handmade, complex techniques. Often drawing on the sought after intricacy of mosaics that appear on floors across the cathedrals, old housing and courtyards of Italy, he produces this effect on his voluptuous vessels. But while we may presume these would look archaic and dated, Micheluzzi applies a refined modernism.
‘There’s a form of alchemy involved in working with this material and countless secrets to be discovered,’ Micheluzzi explains. ‘My work recalls the atmosphere of Venice, the lagoon, the silvery waterways and the cloudy skies. I use glass to convey a feeling of motion.’ This romance resonates throughout the Willer collections, which are all painstakingly created in his studio – from the wondrous curves and ripples of his transparent 'Iridescent' collection to the abstract terrazzo pattern sculptures in the newest 'Mosaico' collection.
Micheluzzi also offers up the the key to a lasting (and successful) relationship with the material: ‘If you truly love glass, and really try to understand its needs, it will reveal its infinite creative possibility a bit at a time. My mission is to elicit more confidence from the material, hoping that slowly it will reveal its secrets to me.’
He draws on the intricacy of mosaics, that appear on the floors of Italian cathedrals and courtyards, for his voluptuous vessels
‘My work recalls the atmosphere of Venice, the lagoon, the silvery waterways and the cloudy skies. I use glass to convey a feeling of motion,’ says Micheluzzi of his handcrafted wares
INFORMATION
'Massimo Micheluzzi: Mosaico' is on view until 30 July. For more information, visit the Willer website
ADDRESS
Willer
12–14 Holland Street
London, W8 4LT
-
First look – Bottega Veneta and Flos release a special edition of the Model 600Gino Sarfatti’s fan favourite from 1966 is born again with Bottega Veneta’s signature treatments gracing its leather base
-
We stepped inside the Stedelijk Museum's newest addition in AmsterdamAmsterdam's Stedelijk Museum has unveiled its latest addition, the brand-new Don Quixote Sculpture Hall by Paul Cournet of Rotterdam creative agency Cloud
-
On a sloped Los Angeles site, a cascade of green 'boxes' offers inside outside livingUnStack, a house by FreelandBuck, is a cascading series of bright green volumes, with mountain views
-
Meet Kenia Almaraz Murillo, the artist rethinking weavingKenia Almaraz Murillo draws on the new and the traditional in her exhibition 'Andean Cosmovision' at London's Waddington Custot
-
Inside Jack Whitten’s contribution to American contemporary artAs Jack Whitten exhibition ‘Speedchaser’ opens at Hauser & Wirth, London, and before a major retrospective at MoMA opens next year, we explore the American artist's impact
-
Doc'n Roll Film Festival makes its loud return to the UKThe 11th edition of the Doc'n Roll Film Festival celebrates music, culture and cinema from around the world
-
Preview the Jameel Prize exhibition, coming to London's V&A, with a focus on moving image and digital mediaThe winner of the V&A and Art Jameel’s seventh international award for contemporary art and design inspired by Islamic tradition will be showcased alongside shortlisted artists
-
Genesis Belanger is seduced by the real and the fake in LondonSculptor Genesis Belanger’s solo show, ‘In the Right Conditions We Are Indistinguishable’, is open at Pace, London
-
Francis Bacon at the National Portrait Gallery is an emotional tour de force‘Francis Bacon: Human Presence’ at the National Portrait Gallery in London puts the spotlight on Bacon's portraiture
-
Frieze Sculpture takes over Regent’s ParkTwenty-two international artists turn the English gardens into a dream-like landscape and remind us of our inextricable connection to the natural world
-
Meet Oluwole Omofemi and Bayo Akande, the founders creating a new art communityOluwole Omofemi and Bayo Akande, are behind Piece Unique, an artist agency that guides and future-proofs emerging artists’ careers
