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Since 1975 Victor Chiarizia has explored many facets of glassmaking, including blown, flameworked, cast, etched and sandblasted. Chiarizia’s sculptural works express his thoughts about life, growth and renewal in art glass comprised of two distinctive techniques—hot glass and flameworked glass with vitreous fired-on enamels. Profound images from Chiarizia’s Italian-American background coupled with a boundless imagination give an earthy yet surreal style to much of his sculptural work.
Chiarizia’s glass is well-known for its technical innovations, organic forms and spirited colorations. His most acclaimed work includes The Botanicals, a series of sculptures with flameworked glass which is treated with multiple applications of enamels to give luster and luminosity to the vines, blossoms, fruit, human hands, and other elements that cling to amorphous hot glass vessels. The Legends and Icons Series also incorporates these techniques along with cast glass elements representing mythical, spiritual or cultural characters which are nestled into lush, clinging vines or stoic ancient tombs. Through their vivid imagery, this body of work illustrates the eternal cycle of life, death and rebirth.
Chiarizia also creates limited-edition vessels and sculptures which demonstrate an exceptional use of Incalmo, a 500 year-old Venetian technique that requires the artist to create cup-shape vessels which are then connected to one another on the blow pipe. Incalmo and reverse incalmo are complex and physically demanding processes for even the most experienced glassblowers. Chiarizia uses this unique technique to produce large vertical and diagonal bands of color within a vessel. Chiarizia also creates various blown glass series of vessels and sculptures; some revealing deeply organic textures and others in lively colorations.
Awards
2004 New Glass Review 25
23rd Annual Habitat Glass Invitational Jurors Award
Museum of Art and Design
2001 & 2002 NICHE Awards for Excellence in Flameworked Glass
Commissions
Dubai Conrad Hilton/ DUBAI, U.A.E.
Ritz Carlton Hotel / CHARLOTTE, NC
Four Seasons Hotel / DENVER, CO
The Terraces / NAPLES, FL
The Palace Hotel / BEIJING
Absolute Vodka / TEANECK, NJ
Royal Caribbean / LONDON, UK
Herald Examiner Building / LOS ANGELES, CA
Sandwich Glass Museum / SANDWICH, MA
The Smithsonian / WASHINGTON, DC
Heublein Corporation / FARMINGTON, CT
St. Thomas Cathedral / NEW YORK, NY
AT&T / NEW YORK, NY
St. Ignatius Church / NEW YORK, NY
The Frick Collection / NEW YORK, NY
Tiffany’s / NEW YORK, NY
Bulgari /NEW YORK, NY
Morgane Le Fay Fashion House / NEW YORK, NY
Barney’s / NEW YORK, NY
Juried Shows
Philadelphia Museum of Art / PHILADELPHIA, PA
American Craft Council (ACC) / BALTIMORE, MD; CHICAGO, IL; and W. SPRINGFIELD, MA
Buyers Market of American Crafts / PHILADELPHIA, PA
Crafts Park Avenue / NEW YORK, NY
International Glass Arts Festival / HSINCHU GLASS MUSEUM, TAIWAN
Selected Galleries
1020 Glass Art / AUSTIN, TX,
Adamm’s Stained Glass Gallery / SANTA MONICA, CA
Artforms Gallery / GUILDERLAND, NY
Avalon Gallery / DEL RAY BEACH, FL
Bella Arte Gallery / MIDLOTHIAN, VA
Blue Spiral Gallery / ASHEVILLE, NC
Carlyn Galerie / DALLAS, TX
Chasen Galleries / RICHMOND, VA
Coconut Grove Gallery & Interiors / MIAMI, FL
CODA Gallery / PALM DESERT, CA
Corning Museum of Glass / CORNING, NY
Create A Frame/Handworks Gallery / PITTSBURGH, PA
Don Muller Gallery / NORTHAMPTON, MA
Eno Gallery / HILLSBOROUGH, NC
Expressions Fine Art / LACONNER, WA
Fusion Art Glass / SEASIDE, FL
G. Gallery / GUTHRIE, OK
Galleria of Sculpture / PALM BEACH, FL
Gallery 72 / OMAHA, NE
Gallery M / GREENPORT, NY
Gallery One / NAPLES, FL
Gallery Vetro / SAN ANTONIO, TX
Glass Reunions / KEY WEST, FL
Gold Rush Fine Jewelry / FAIRBANKS, AK
Highlands Fine Art Gallery / HIGHLANDS, NC
Hoy Poloi / FLORIDA and CHICAGO, IL
Hudson Beach Glass / BEACON, NY
Laughing Dog Gallery / VERO BEACH, FL
Liquid Sands Glass Gallery / SAVANNAH, GA
Milward Farrell Fine Art / MADISON, WI
Nimbus / ASHLAND, OR
NJM Gallery / PORTSMOUTH, NH
North Bay Gallery / YOUNTVILLE, CA
Pinnacle Gallery / SCOTTSDALE, AZ
Real Mother Goose / PORTLAND, OR
Sarah Jessica Fine Art / PROVINCETOWN, MA
Shapiro’s Gallery / PROVINCETOWN, MA
Silver Fox Gallery / HENDERSONVILLE, NC
Simon & Co. Jewelers / KINGSTON, PA
Simone Beckett Gallery Jewelers / LOS GATOS, CA
Syd Entel Susan Benjamin Galleries / SAFETY HARBOR, FL
T. Clifton Gallery / MEMPHIS, TN
The Stepping Stone / LEWES, DE
The Framer’s Gallery / BRECKSVILLE, OH
Topeo Gallery / NEW HOPE, PA
Vining’s Gallery / SMYRNA, GA
Selected Books and Publications
Creative Glass / Schiffer Publishing
The Penland Book of Glass / Lark Books
500 Glass Objects / Lark Publishing
Contemporary Glass: Color, Light & Form / Guild Publishing
Formed of Fire / Salusa Glassworks
Flameworking by Elizabeth Mears / Lark Books
Flame working: Creating Glass Beads, Sculptures & Functional Objects / Lark Books
Contemporary Lampworking Vol. 1 / Salusa Glassworks
The Asheville Citizen Times (Featured Artist) / FEBRUARY 27, 2013
Carolina Home and Garden (Featured Artist) / SPRING 2011
The Laurel of Asheville (Featured Artist) / MARCH 2011
Carolina Home and Garden / FALL 2008
The Laurel of Asheville (Featured Artist) / JANUARY 2008
Bold Life (Featured Artist) / JULY 2006
NEW GLASS REVIEW 25 / 2004
ArtisticFX Magazine (Featured Artist) / NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2003
The Philadelphia Inquirer / NOVEMBER 15, 2003
American Style Magazine (Featured Artist) / SUMMER 2002
NICHE Magazine for Craft Retailers / WINTER & SPRING 2002, WINTER & SPRING 2001
NICHE Magazine / SUMMER 2000 and SUMMER 1999
The Boston Globe Magazine / DECEMBER 5, 1999
The Crafts Report / SEPTEMBER 1999