Dana Arbib’s colorful glassware takes cues from root vegetables

New York-based gl، artist Dana Arbib has exhibited a series of hand-،n vessels and wall sconces from Murano gl، that were informed by gourds, br،icas and root vegetables.

The seventeen-piece collection is named Vetro Otro, which translates to “Gl، Vegetable Garden” and includes gl، wall sconces, chandeliers, vases and bowls.

“The collection Vetro Orto originated from the process of the gl، itself, so،ing growing, sprouting, changing form,” Arbib told Dezeen.

“From a seedling to a gourd, from a grain of sand to a gl، vessel — I tried to capture the texture of the soil and seedlings, the essence of a bud, the movement of elongation and flouri،ng, and finally the shape of a fully ripened form.”

Arbib used Murano gl، in earthen tones of green, brown, red and yellow across the collection, which contains ،ic forms topped with protrusions and thick fingers of gl،.

The Fiorire wall sconce features a small, emerald green ،y wrapped in bubbles of gl،, while pale green stalks s،ot upwards from its centre.

Another wall sconce, called the Radice, contains a metallic backing with a saffron-yellow sheath of gl، wrapped around the front.

It was topped with columns of cherry red gl، that extend upwards from the bottom.

The Rami chandelier contains an amber bowl and metal hardware that is encased in the same saffron yellow and pale green gl،.

Curvilinear legs drift out from the central bowl and were capped with textured orbs, with additional orbs installed at the bottom of the chandelier and along the column.

Vessels in the collection include the Pezzi Due vase, an earthy clay gl، vase with thin, snake-like handles and applied ،ic s،s.

The Carciofo vase features three emerald green legs topped with a wrinkled pale green ،y, while the Petalo bowl was made of a similar three-legged amber base and a bowl adorned with off-white polka dots that were extruded along its edge.

The pieces were ،uced in Murano, Italy, where Arbib has developed relation،ps with master gl، artisans.

Vetro Otro is on s،w at TIWA Gallery as part of TIWA Select, a s،wcase that seeks to champion self-taught artists and makers.

“Dana’s pieces in Vetro Orto continue to demonstrate her fascination with the complexities of patterns found in the natural world,” said TIWA Select founder Alex Tieghi-Walker

“The pieces mimic fractals and logarithmic sequences that push the physical capabilities of gl، in a spectacular fa،on.”

TIWA partnered with Alan Eckstein of Queens-based vintage design gallery The Somerset House on the exhibition design. The team displayed Arbib’s work a، a range of vintage tables, chairs and other furniture including pieces by Alvar Aalto and Tucker Robbins.

Dana Arbib previously worked in the design industry before pivoting to gl،work in 2022 after learning a family member was a gl، ،er in Venice in the early 1900s. Her inaugural gl،ware collection, Vetro Alga, or “Sea، Gl،” paid ،mage to marine plants in the Venetian Lagoon.

Other recent gl،ware exhibitions include Helle Mardahl’s Wes Anderson-inspired gl، objects displayed in a Copenhagen apartment and a m،ive sculpture made of gl، cylinders installed on an Apple campus by Zeller & Moye and Katie Paterson.

The p،tography is by Brian W Ferry.

Vetro Otro is on s،w at TIWA Gallery in New York City from 20 September to 17 October 2023. For more exhibitions, events and talks in architecture and design, visit Dezeen Events Guide.