Giberto Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga
Gianni Seguso

Giberto Arrivabene Valenti Gonzaga, a Venetian designer of vases, drinking glasses and accessories for the table and home, ‘entered the world of glass over two decades ago now with the singular intention of reinventing the tradition. Brought up in a frescoed palazzo, surrounded by precious objects, he developed a natural feeling for beauty that he also seeks in his artistic practice. His reflection on various materials and techniques stems from a profound passion for history and ancient sculpture’ (Jean Blanchaert). Viscerally bound to Venice, but a great traveller, a passion for glass and high craftsmanship has always been at the centre of his interests. For him creation has always been a matter of discovery and delight, a mix of materials and ideas. Each piece is based on a sketch made in watercolour on tracing paper and the glass, principal material of his collections, is worked exclusively on Murano.

Gianni Seguso is today the custodian of a tradition stretching back through six generations of master glassworkers who have preserved the secrets of Murano’s age-old craft. The Seguso family is one of the oldest on the island, registered since 1605 in the Libro d’Oro of Murano. Born in 1951, Gianni showed great talent in the working of glass from early on, earning himself the title of Maestro Vetraio at the age of just 18. Today he is particularly well-known and appreciated for his creation of chandeliers in the ‘Rezzonico style’. He collaborates with designers and artists of international repute, producing works that can now be seen in museums and private galleries. The numerous international awards he has won have in no way diminished the craftsman’s continual desire to experiment and carry out research into new creative processes.