Gallery FUMI presents the transformation of glass into art with ‘Glass Transfigurations’

Gallery FUMI is pleased to present Glass Transfigurations, a duo solo show by London-based designer Jochen Holz and Milan-based studio 6:AM Glassworks. The exhibition, on showcase from November 23, 2023, - January 9, 2024, presents the surreal transformations that glass undergoes to turn into pieces of sculptural art.

For the exhibition at the art gallery in Mayfair, London, Holz’s body of work titled La Belle et la Bête draws inspiration from Jean Cocteau’s 1946 film of the same name—a live-action adaptation of Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont’s 18th-century fairy tale. Trained in the traditional craft of lampworking, the lighting designer employs borosilicate glass for his lighting design, a material highly valued in scientific industries for its enduring resistance to extreme heat and chemicals—transforming it in his glassblowing studio to create exquisite blown glass works, which include chandeliers, floor lights, sconces, table lamps and candlesticks.

Choosing to practise this technique creatively is a radical departure from its typical usage, and marks him as one of the few artists in the United Kingdom to do so. The works take on a surreal form, reminiscent of the visual effects used by Cocteau to depict lighting within the film.

Transfiguration also emerges as a theme central to new works by 6:AM Glassworks, the creative partnership of Edoardo Pandolfo and Francesco Palù. 1/1/1 is an ongoing sculpture series consisting of Murano glass imbued with Carrara marble. The sculptures take unpredictable shapes through the process of creating moulds sourced from scrap material found in the furnace. As a result, every product design is unique, and an imperfect texture is achieved through the addition of marble powder sourced from the caves in Carrara.

The works in the duo solo exhibition seamlessly blend utilitarian functionality with the enigmatic allure of glass. With 6:AM Glassworks’ sculptural design pieces occupying the floor and Holz’s light sculptures residing above, the essence of transfiguration is woven throughout the entirety of the space.

'Glass Transfigurations' is on view from November 23, 2023 - January 9, 2024, at Gallery FUMI, Mayfair, London, UK.