Victor Chiarizia Glass Artist

Since 1975, Victor Chiarizia has explored many types of glassmaking, including blown, flame-worked, cast and more. Chiarizia’s works express his thoughts about life, growth and renewal. Images from his Italian American background coupled with imagination give an earthy and surreal style to his work.

Chiarizia’s glass is well-known for innovations, organic forms, and bright colors. For example, his most praised work includes The Botanicals. They are a series of sculptures with flame-worked glass treated with enamel to give it luster. His Legends and Icons Series also uses these methods along with cast glass elements. Through vivid imagery, this body of work shows the eternal cycle of life, death and rebirth.

Chiarizia also creates limited-edition vessels and sculptures which display the use of a 500-year old glass technique called Incalmo. This process requires the artist to connect cup-shape vessels on the blow pipe. He uses this method to create large vertical and diagonal bands of color within a vessel. He also creates blown glass series of vessels and sculptures. Some reveal deeply organic textures and others in lively colors.