NQ Teaching by Narcissus Quagliata

Narcissus Quagliata is considered one of the most significant contemporary artists in glass. He has defined a new pathway for the art of glass and is best known for his spectacular artworks in public spaces, which have drawn worldwide attention. The Dome of Light: Wind, Fire, and Time is the largest illuminated glass dome in the world. It is situated in the Central Station of the newly built Kaohsiung Rapid Transit metro system and is a landmark that has now become a tourist destination in Southern Taiwan. His captivating glass dome for the entry rotunda of the basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, designed by Michelangelo on the Roman ruins of the Baths of Diocletian in Rome, is well known for the use of light within the space to make manifest the movement and alignment of celestial bodies. His fine artworks in glass and his watercolors of the Archetypes and Mediterranean Treasures have been collected worldwide in museums and private collections. Most notably, these works are in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum in New York; De Young Museum in San Francisco; Oakland Museum in California; Chrysler Museum in Newport, VA; Museo de la Granja de San Ildefonso in Segovia, Spain; and in the Southeast Cultural Foundation in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

Orfeo is an industrial designer who owes his sensitivity with glass art to his inspiration in the inherent sublime dynamism of this whimsical material and its ability to capture, bend and project light. Reinvention is his mojo and he is always experimenting with new techniques that push the physical constraints of the environment to release novel forms. Born in San Francisco in 1972 during an eclipse, raised in a community of artists, and inspired by alchemy, he developed a distinctive ethos and aesthetic that make his work exceptionally powerful and immediately recognizable. Orfeo acquired his glass skills, his sensitivity to color, and his desire to experiment by working and living in his father's glass studio. He then went on to study design at the California College of the Arts and grew more creative over time, breaking through new corners of the world where he could find and develop new techniques. During the beginning of the new century, he arrived in Mexico perceiving a characteristic opportunity of the country that supposes incomparable cultural diversity. His Studio uses techniques never seen before that come from the curiosity of its creator and his constant transformation. Two of them – Studio’s bestsellers - stand out for their application used in several collections. The Jimmiz Brainz technique was born from the inspiration in Jimmy Hendrix and his extravagant musical innovation, wildly amorphous forms that evoke the psychedelic era of free love of the 60s; Bubbles of boiled glass in brilliant colors float organically like a lava lamp suspended in time. On the other side, we find the Barcodes technique, multiple layers of vivid color compressed between transparent bands and an infinite variety, from subtle combinations to visually stunning breaks in each sequence. One of Orfeo's earliest and most popular experiments, these linear molten glass progressions combine a modern sense of order with moments of explosive fantasy. Throughout his career, Orfeo Quagliata has made different collaborations with different companies such as Swarovski, Samsung, Taracea, Pietra Gallery, Tomorrowland Tailors and RS Owens (those in charge of making the Oscar Awards statuettes) as well as clients from all over the world, from hotels and corporations to individuals. He has participated in important international art and design events such as Zona MACO, Design Week, Filux, NY Now and SOFA Chicago. In a significant way, Orfeo has impacted through his products the sensory world of the user and together with his latest collaborations, he has managed to emphasize a sense of exploration endowed with audacity that reinforces the meaning of visual communication. Orfeo Quagliata represents versatility in an unrivaled way, connecting everyday elements, designers, artists and companies with his unmatched talent and an extremely energetic fantasy experience