Published: 23 Sep 2024
At the source: Chihuly
Explore how a visionary like Dale Chihuly came to be and how The Rug Company captured his creativity in their latest collaboration.
Organic forms, dramatic colours and expressive designs, Chihuly’s glassworks captivate their viewer with a sense of freedom. Renowned for revolutionising the studio glass movement, Chihuly has created architectural installations in cities, museums and gardens worldwide. We delved into a pivotal chapter of this visionary’s journey to understand what inspires him and his new collection for The Rug Company.
Dale Chihuly and Leslie Jackson with Palazzo Ducale Chandelier
Venice, 1996
© Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved
Venice, 1996
© Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved
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Macchia, Seaforms and Drawings
Groninger Museum, Groningen, Netherlands, installed 2018
© Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved -
Black Cylinders and Clear Blanket Cylinders
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, installed 2017
© Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved -
Clear Blanket Cylinders, 2016
Biltmore, Asheville, North Carolina, installed 2024
© Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved -
Pecan and White Persian, 1987
9 x 16 x 11"
© Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved
Venice has been the cultural heartland of glassblowing since the 8th century and has played a significant role in Chihuly’s creative journey. After studying in prestigious institutions across the United States, the artist travelled to Venice in the late 1960s to work alongside the renowned team at Venini. Chihuly was both the first American glass artist to study officially at the Venini Fabbrica and the first recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship for the study of glass.
In the 1990s, he exhibited Chihuly Over Venice, one of his most ambitious projects on Venice’s streets and canals. Two decades later, The Rug Company retraced Chihuly’s footsteps across the city to capture the collection at the core of its inspiration.
Masterpieces II
Speaking on the allure of Venice, he says, “I wanted to come here first and foremost because of the water and the architecture”. This influence is reflected throughout the Masterpieces II collections. The designs capture a watery essence through their names, marine sensibilities and translucent quality. Each rug has been masterfully translated from Chihuly’s artworks into pieces of art for the floor, designed to enhance and elevate the space and architecture they occupy.
“Since my college days of weaving textiles, I have long appreciated the talent involved in creating objects of such lasting beauty and functionality . . . Taking this step into the world of rugs was a natural progression for me.”
- Chihuly
The architectural stage of this collection is a villa tucked away behind a romantic porta d’acqua, a traditional entrance door on the waters of Venice’s Grand Canal. Designed by the modernist architect Carlo Scarpa, the space combines traditional materials and time-honoured techniques with a contemporary style – sharing the same ethos of both The Rug Company and Chihuly.
Creation is a collaborative process and Chihuly’s second collection for The Rug Company is a fusion of creativity, an unprecedented knowledge of artisanal technique and a passion for exquisite fabrication.
The first image featured is Mercato del Pesce di Rialto Chandelier, 1996
8 x 5 x 5’
Venice | © Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved
8 x 5 x 5’
Venice | © Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved
