Exhibition & collective sale on the art of glass

UNI-VERRE: group exhibition and sale – the art of glass.

Olivier MALLEMOUCHE is a glassblower in the most creative sense of the word.

He is utterly captivated by this craft, by this art, its magic and its history.

His universe is the workshop.

Olivier embodies a fusion of power and finesse.

The power of the body and the gestures, dancing amidst the tools and molten material.

It is physics, it is chemistry.

But it is also finesse.

The finesse of the message, the designs, the strokes, the symbols, the lines and the curves.

Driven by a desire for experimentation and invention, he has, over time, developed a style all his own, drawing on ancient arts, calligraphy and modern art, as well as on other worlds, exoticism, languages, traditions and cultures.

At the heart of his pieces, somewhere between figuration and abstraction, lies his profound message, his way of thinking and bearing witness, and his fundamental question: humanity.

Text by M. FADAT and O. MALLEMOUCHE

Techniques: Olivier uses the cane technique and intercalary painting. His process involves numerous successive firings.

ANVI Glass Studio: Anne DONZÉ and Vincent CHAGNON are passionate glass artists who share their expertise to create glass sculptures.

Their diverse experiences in the world of contemporary art have earned them international recognition.

They have been honoured with several prestigious awards, including the “l’Œuvre” prize from the Fondation Ateliers d’Art de France.

Anne graduated from the Escola Massana in 2004 and has since devoted herself to contemporary sculpture, exhibiting her work—which spans various disciplines—at international venues dedicated to glass and contemporary jewellery.

Vincent, a glass artist since 2002, learnt his craft at the “Espace Verre” school in Montreal, Quebec.

He has worked in several studios in the USA, the Czech Republic, Quebec and France.

From 2014 to 2018, he taught at the Haute École des Arts du Rhin in Strasbourg.

In 2018, they created the brand “Atelier de verre ANVI” and moved into the former École de la Pierre in Valserhône to set up their studio there.

Techniques: Anne and Vincent are skilled in numerous techniques such as glassblowing with rods, the glass paste process and torch-working. To finish their pieces, they work with cold glass.

Aure Col’ Aure la vie: Laure RONDEAU is an artist who has been working with glass since 1983.

Trained by European master glassmakers, she has, over time, acquired a level of expertise that led to her being recognised as a Master Craftsman in the art of glassmaking in 2011.

This artist’s creativity shines through in the shapes and colours that illuminate her art and offer us a glimpse into her very soul.

Her works invite us to enter her world of light: the light she casts upon a world of neglected values, such as love and friendship.

Beyond form, what Laure expresses through glass is rich in profound values:

from this raw material, taken from the earth, transformed and sculpted, Laure draws out its song, with a sensitive and poetic soul, much like a song by Brassens or a poem by Prévert.

A light, to cast a loving gaze upon the whole world…’

Techniques: Fusing, thermoforming, glass paste technique… Laure successfully combines the techniques of glass fusing, sculpture and painting.

Didier Saba, a master glassblower following in his father’s footsteps, carries on the tradition of handcrafted blown glass in his workshop in Antibes.

The workshop also offers bespoke creations and classes open to all.

Didier Saba creates works of art in blown glass, drawing on a rich family heritage and a passion for artistic expression.

Inspired by artists such as Picasso and Dalí, he has developed a unique and poetic style, which can be discovered in his workshop.

What fascinates him is the infinite possibilities offered by glass: “I don’t really like the word ‘creation’ because glass has been made since the Phoenicians,” he qualifies.

He rejects the idea of absolute novelty in such an ancient craft, preferring to speak of interpretation, style and reinvention.

Working with glass means being part of a tradition whilst seeking one’s own path.

Techniques: Didier, a hand-blown glassmaker, has mastered the techniques of glassblowing and pressing. His work therefore combines classical techniques with contemporary inspiration to create unique pieces decorated with coloured inclusions, 22-carat gold leaf, silver and enamels.

Glass artists: Aurélie BARROO-MICHELETTA

Fascinated by the relationship between form and design, Aurélie BARROO-MICHELETTA cultivates a tactile appreciation for materials through her technical and aesthetic exploration of textures and the nude.

Trained in Chartres, then at the ENSAAMA Olivier de Serres in Paris, she has been working since 2003 in the restoration of stained glass, as well as in contemporary glass design and interior architecture.

Richard LOESEL began working for the Cristallerie de Saint Louis at the age of 17, and his 20 years’ experience at this prestigious company explain his style and perfectionism in his work.

Richard grew up in a family of glassmakers: one grandfather was a cutter, another a glassmaker, and his father a blower of medical thermometers.

So, after his years at Saint Louis, he continued his career as a glassblower at the Verrerie de Meisenthal (CIAV)!

In 2015, Richard won the MOF ‘Meilleur Ouvrier de France’ competition in the paperweight category, a prestigious

competition held every four years, with prizes awarded only to the finest artists.

In 2016, following the competition, Richard decided to open his own studio, ‘Studio Loesel’, and began making paperweights whilst working part-time at the CIAV.

Techniques:

Richard Loesel is a cane glassmaker and a glassblower.

Marie-Odile SAVIGNY: After studying ceramics at the École nationale des arts appliqués et métiers d’arts in Paris, she joined the design team at the DAUM crystal works in Nancy.

The seven years she spent at this factory as a designer and modeller provided a formative experience.

There she discovered the full range of glassmaking techniques, from hot to cold glass: blown and pressed glass, pâte de verre, and cold working: cutting, sandblasting and polishing. She liaised with external designers such as Starck, McConnico, Garoust and Bonetti… whilst also contributing her own designs to the general collections.

She set up her workshops in Moustiers in 1995.

Alongside her ceramic work, she developed her own glass paste techniques to serve a highly personal artistic vision.

Techniques: Marie-Odile mainly creates unique pieces using the glass paste process. To do so, she has developed her own personal techniques. Most of the bas-reliefs are moulded on still-soft clay to accommodate undercuts. The moulds for the sculptures, which have internal cores, consist of sub-parts that are assembled and secured by a ‘sarcophagus’ mould encasing these sub-parts.

Glass paste techniques allow for a more sculptural use of glass, using equipment that is feasible on the scale of an individual studio.

Organised by the Musée de la Faïence de Moustiers-Ste-Marie