Gaby Wagner: Gaby Wagner, a world-traveling artist who calls both France and Venice home, is famous for her unique blend of traditional Venetian glassmaking with artistic influences from around the globe. Her love affair with glass began in the late 1990s when she moved to Venice and apprenticed with renowned Murano glassblowers, like Diego Dei Rossi of the Aureliano Toso workshop. Wagner’s creations are known for their complex interplay of light, grace, and shimmering reflections, embodying both Venice’s rich history and her own international perspective.
Wagner’s path to glass art began unexpectedly. Initially, she documented an Italian glass artist through photography. But captivated by the material, she transitioned into design. Her early work, crafted under the guidance of Murano masters, explored the use of glass in lamps and decorative objects. During this time, Wagner found inspiration in Asian porcelain pieces she encountered in Paris. These porcelains, often mounted on metal stands, sparked her idea to combine glass with bronze in her own work, a feature that has become her signature style.
Wagner’s newest collection, “Glass Meets Bronze,” premiered during Venice Glass Week and is now on display at her studio in the meticulously restored Palazzo Bernardo, a testament to her dedication to art and design. This exhibition delves into the relationship between glass and bronze, marrying the ethereal lightness of glass with the substantial weight of gilded bronze. The animal-shaped forms that cradle the glass pieces pay homage to Venice’s seafaring past, creating a striking contrast that is both luxurious and poetic.
Wagner frequently draws inspiration from her collection of antique glass, reinterpreting classic designs with a modern touch. Her pieces echo the influence of legendary Venetian glassmakers like Giacomo Cappellin and Vittorio Zecchin, particularly in their clean lines and timeless elegance. However, Wagner distinguishes her work by pairing these delicate glass creations with substantial bronze elements, a juxtaposition that highlights the balance between fragility and strength.
Art historian and curator Cristina Beltrami admires Wagner’s ability to breathe new life into classic glass forms by incorporating them with bronze structures inspired by animal shapes. This fusion respects Venetian tradition while showcasing Wagner’s contemporary approach, seamlessly blending the past with the present in a truly innovative way. Wagner’s artworks, showcased in galleries worldwide and admired by renowned designers like Donna Karan, are now permanently on display at her Venetian studio, offering a fresh perspective on the evolution of glass art.
Through her relentless experimentation with glass and metal, Wagner has carved a niche for herself as a leading voice in modern glass art. Deeply connected to the legacy of Venetian craftsmanship yet enriched by her international experiences, her creations continue to push the boundaries of glass and bronze, celebrating the unique beauty and complexity of these materials.
