Silvio Vigliaturo, Italian artist
and glass sculptor
On Tuesday 13 November, the renowned Italian artist and glass sculptor, Silvio Vigliaturo launched his debut UK solo exhibition at The Gallery at Cork Street, London. Despite having held prestigious exhibitions throughout Europe as well as in China, The Emirates, Japan and the United States, this was the first time Vigliaturo has exhibited his collection in the UK. Silvio Vigliaturo is a contemporary Italian master who brings the scale and energy of sculpture and the bold instinct of a colourist, to the delicate art of glass making. This collection, brought together by Collier & Dobson, fine art publishers, is an explosion of colour and light; boasting 30 glass sculptures alongside over 20 paintings and drawings, representing a bold display of Vigliaturo’s work.
Vigliaturo is one of the very few people who have had a museum dedicated to them during their lifetime. In June 2006, the Silvio Vigliaturo Municipal Contemporary Art Museum was inaugurated in Acri’s magnificent Palazzo Falcone, in Calabria, Italy; the ultimate tribute to this exciting artist, whose work has distinctive parallels with that of a post-Cubist Picasso, Matisse, and the surrealist, Mirò.
Vigliaturo’s creations have an instinctive impact and seem to release a strong positive energy, bursting with Mediterranean colour and spirit. In a time where the direct relationship between an artist and his material has almost disappeared, these Murano glass sculptures, formed using the complicated technique called ‘thermofusion’, refreshingly remind us of the purity of an artist who is the master of his medium.
Silvio Vigliaturo was born at Acri in Calabria, Italy, in 1949. In 1962 he came to Chieri, near Turin, where he now lives and works. At the age of 16 he completed a traditional apprenticeship at a local glass works, where he was instructed in the art of drawing by Luigi Bertagna, a disciple of Turin artist Giacomo Grosso, and in painting by Edoardo Ferrero. Vigliaturo’s inspiration was sparked in 1986, when he visited the ‘Futurismo e Futurismi’ exhibition in Venice, experiencing the work of Picasso, Mirò, Matisse and Chagall, and the current of Futurism and expressionism; these influences continue to be apparent in his work. Vigliaturo’s first important commission came with the creation of the stained glass windows of Duomo di Chieri and he continued to receive commissions for other churches and private residences, displaying immense mastery over his ‘liquid glass’, whilst continuing to exhibit his paintings. A meeting with Adriano Berengo of Berengo Fine Arts at Murano in the Venice lagoon projected him into the exclusive panorama of international glass art.
This latest collection displays several of his more recent bold stylistic canvasses, alongside lively figurative drawings, illustrating a confident prowess. His glass sculptures have dramatic impact, from the gentle surrealist faces to the imposing ‘Generale’ which stands 9 feet tall, colour bursting forth. His themes include elements of classical fables, evoking mystery with their fairytale playfulness. The fragility of these interpretations of light and colour is belied by their actual solidity and strength. These totemic structures stand tall. The creator of these marvels, despite his celebrity, remains, a quiet humble man. Surrounded by his glass creations, and accompanied by his more diminutive Jack Russell, Silvio Vigliaturo is delighted that the British public has been given the opportunity to enjoy the magic of his work.
