Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
A new exhibition in Cold Spring, New York, is bringing the luminous legacy of Murano glassmaking into focus through the work of Japanese artist Yoichi Ohira.
“Yoichi Ohira: Japan in Murano” is on view at Magazzino Italian Art until February 2027. The exhibit showcases the work of Ohira who became a leading figure in the design of Venetian glassworks on the island of Murano. The exhibition highlight the uniqueness of Ohira’s art across the decades of his career.
Ohira’s earliest Murano works blend Venetian glass techniques with his own style. These pieces show balanced shapes, clear surfaces, and striking color combinations. His Venezia e l’Oriente (Venice and the Orient) decanters reflect Venice’s ties to the East, creating vases inspired by Marco Polo’s tales with a modern twist.
The exhibition shows Ohira’s respect for Murano’s glass masters, displaying objects alongside preparatory drawings that map ideas to the final works of art. It also explores how Ohira used lines, colors, and words to express his vision, highlighting the beauty of the glass even before it was made.
Inspired by nature, Ohira’s later works showcase Murano glass’s rich colors and play with light. The exhibition includes his Acqua alta di Venezia (Venice at High Tide) vases in which blue glass evokes glistening waters.
Click here for more information about the exhibit. Click here to watch a short documentary about Ohira’s glasswork.
