Incollect Magazine - Issue 8

42 www.incollect.com We also differ from other contemporary makers because we have a lifetime of experience in this line of work thanks to Michele, who is a master glassmaker and handed down the techniques and secrets of this profession. Thanks to him, Domenico has the support, experience and skills to be able to experiment with techniques and finishes that at this point in his career — he is 31 years old — he could not hope to master working on his own. The third reason we are different from others is because to our way of viewing we present a very personal vision for interior furnishings which is our unique and recognizable style, made and controlled all by us. Nowadays, it is very rare to be able to conceive, design, and create a product on your own. Most, if not almost all, glass craftsmen carry out the designs of other designers, artists, and architects on a commission basis. Our ideas combined with our machinery and expert craftsmanship allow us to create unique pieces and distinguish ourselves from others in this field. What is Michele’s background? Where did he learn to work with glass? Michele began working in the atelier of Italian glass artist Giorgio Berlini, who, in the 1960s, collaborated with Salvador Dali, Piero Fornasetti, and many others. Michele eventually took over Berlini’s business and established his own studio in 2004 to continue traditional glass-making techniques, collaborating with Barnaba Fornasetti, Roberto Rida, and others. In 2014 Michele closed the business and the very same year moved his operation to its present, larger location, establishing Ghiró Studio. So, Domenico, when did you start working with your father? I was just 17. I would go to the studio every day to learn. When my father closed his business it seemed to me such a shame. I didn’t want all his amazing knowledge and the old glass-making techniques to be lost, so I asked him to help reimagine a family studio, focusing on contemporary furniture design, lighting and artistic commissions, incorporating his knowledge and technical mastery. In this table, we see an example of the sort of design considerations that make each Ghiró piece a work of art. The negative space created by the voids between the legs is as much a part of the design as the form itself. The studio-built “Artide” low table has hand-carved glass panels set into brass framing, and colored with a unique iridescent treatment. Irregularly shaped brass legs protrude through the top, creating abstract triangular surface details. From a limited edition of 12, plus 2 artist proofs. Available through Donzella at the New York Design Center. Photo: Josh Gaddy/Donzella Ltd.