It seemed like a path already traced, that of Elena and Margherita Micheluzzi, founders of the much-prized contemporary Murano glass brand, Micheluzzi Glass, and daughters of Massimo Micheluzzi, one of the greatest names of Murano artistic glass. Growing up in close contact with their father’s work, visiting the furnace where he produced his works on occasion, witnessing the magic of glass creation was an adventure and also a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy.
Yet, it is partly out of challenge and partly by chance that their adventure in the world of glass began, at a time when their personal and professional lives had already led them far from home: Elena worked in an art gallery in London, while Margherita lived in Milan and worked in fashion and interiors. Margherita’s clients, in particular, often asked her to create a line of drinking glasses to sell in stores. But their father, who focused his artistic practice on vases, didn’t want to do it. “If you want to make glasses, you have to do them yourselves. Come to the furnace with me and try.”
It was a provocation. Drinking glasses, on one hand, are a well-known Murano product with great selling potential. On the other hand, it had great limitations both in form (and therefore in the ability to stand out and create something unique) and in production margins. So, if they wanted to make glasses, they had to figure it out a way to do it themselves.
“Over time, we developed a particular sensitivity for this incredible material and then the curiosity to delve deeper into its techniques and craftsmanship. We felt the desire to experiment firsthand, to create something of our own.”
This is when, in 2019, Elena and Margherita returned to Venice and began going with their father to the artistic furnace where he had been working for decades – experimenting and doing archival research. “Look into the scraps and get an idea,” he would tell them. And it is precisely from the scraps that the idea for their first glasses the mossi, came about – from the pinched glasses , where pinching was used to signal the presence of a defect and prevent them from being tempered together with the good ones. The unconventional movement of the surface and the fact that each glass was unique and different was what they found most appealing. So, alongside a glass master, they began to experiment until they found a perfect, undulating but not crumpled shape, created thanks to very light “pats,” almost like caresses, given with the “borselle,” the pliers usually used to open the glass. “This is how Micheluzzi Glass was born. It all started very naturally, almost as a passion project. Then, once we saw that it was taking off, we decided to radically change our lives to dedicate ourselves entirely to this endeavour.“
The dialectical relationship that is established with the master is one of the most stimulating aspects of creating new pieces. Elena and Margherita come with ideas, suggestions, and the master transforms them, makes them possible, and in turn gives suggestions on how to translate them into practice through the various techniques available, or by bending traditional methods to adapt them to new forms, new uses. “We are not like fashion designers, who have to create a new collection every six months; in reality, we rarely completely abandon something already done and that we like, but we still try to add new things, depending on inspiration, to provide variety. Many ideas arise from conversations with the masters or with our father, or simply by using an object in everyday life. That’s the beauty of this job; we like to remain flexible and spontaneous and open to inspirations. We are growing, but we are still learning.”
“We are fortunate to live in this special corner of the world and to work in Murano, the homeland of glass, and to be able to see the best craftsmen at work. Coming into contact with this reality, which has stood still over time, passing down the secrets of the art of glass for centuries, is a truly extraordinary experience.”
After the first trial run of their mosso drinking glasses, Elena and Margherita began experimenting with vases. The idea was to start simple, using their father’s old moulds. “In Murano, objects made in moulds are considered easier to make, and therefore less artisanal and less prized, because they are almost serially-made as compared to the vases made freehand. But we managed to overcome the limits and prejudice of moulded glass thanks to various techniques, one of which is molatura, [a particular kind of engraving that transforms the visual and tactile perception and allows to work on the surface of the glass with different cuts and processes to enhance its light reflections, texture, colour]”.
Their father, Massimo, owned a grinding workshop in Venice that he used for his work and had developed an in-depth knowledge of this technique. The sisters inherited this knowledge, reclaiming it in a personal way to make objects that are earthy, versatile, and meant to be lived and used. “The distinctive feature of our production lies in the texture of the glass and its particular ability to reflect light. And, thanks to the different grinding techniques, each piece becomes unique – in shape, size, colour, and finish – with the possibility of creating almost infinite variations and the ability to apply it to both vases and smaller objects, like drinking glasses. “
One of their latest creations is the Millerighe, where numerous dense incisions are made on the glass surface, enhancing its beauty both tactilely and visually. Besides drinking glasses, Micheluzzi Glass has created five Millerighe vases exclusively for Inside Venice.
Another distinctive features of Micheluzzi Glass objects is definitely colour. Elena and Margherita were immediately struck by the beautiful and contemporary-looking range of colours offered by the artistic furnace their father worked with, and it’s part of the reason they decided to stick with it. The world of glass colours is a realm of its own, rich in variables and bound to human error. Much is dependent on the recipes and formulas with which powders, metals, and oxides are mixed. But much also depends on meteorological and climatic variables, plus the human factor. This is why it’s not uncommon for two series to be very similar in colour but never exactly the same: these are variations to be taken into account and considered as an added value of craftsmanship. “We don’t work in design, where a very precise continuity is required. We have the opportunity to embrace a more artistic approach. Sometimes there are clients who fall in love with a particular color and ask us if we can make other pieces in the same color, and we say that it is not possible: a new batch will be similar but still different.”
The work of Elena and Margherita is closely linked to Venice and the atmospheres in which they live and are immersed –– the lagoon, the colours of dawns and sunsets, the reflections of light on the water. For example, their mosso line is inspired by the suggestion of water, of the waves, even though they are aware that these references are often unconscious. Many ideas came during the pandemic, when Venice was empty and silent due to the restrictions put in place. As soon as they could move around again, they went out to photograph their creations among quiet streets and still waters. That’s when they noticed the reflections that touched both the water and the surfaces of their vases, the hues of the city…and from these moments, more bits of inspiration came about to keep creating.
One of the most fascinating things is observing the working relationship between Elena and Margherita, the father, and the master at work. In a world that has remained almost exclusively male-dominated for generations, affirming themselves and giving directives has, a times, required some stamina. “I’d be surprised if it were any different, to be honest. Working in a furnace is very, very hard. You wake up at 5 in the morning to be at the furnace by 6am, work in contact with extreme heat for 8 hours…it’s exhausting. And in the end, you need both sides: the masters and glassmakers, and the artisans, or artists, if you will. We are happy to be on this other side of things. We may not have manual skills, but we have ideas, and bringing them into this furnace creates a virtuous circle, create a dialogue. After all this shouldn’t be considered a factory job, there’s creativity and great skill involved, and we want it to a fulfilling job for everyone.”
What Murano needs now, it seems, is a generational renewal. Being a glassmaker is no longer a trade passed down from father to son, so opening up to the outside world, training people who come from elsewhere and cultivating the enthusiasm of those who, even with a more artistic approach, can take up the mantle of this precious tradition has become a necessity. “We are all too aware that the city has the power and potential to create this exchange between territoriality and global projection of talents and audience. Venice offers us the unique opportunity to give visibility to our work thanks to its international audience. It is precisely the rootedness in traditions and in the territory and at the same time its ability to project us into the world that makes it so special.”
