Lucio Bubacco

Narrations in glass

• Lucio’s figures reflect the anatomical perfection of Greek and Roman sculptures
• Lampworking is a type of glasswork in which a torch is used to melt the glass
• He continues to experiment in his quest to generate living forces through glass

Master lampworker Lucio Bubacco possesses a technical expertise, knowledge of colour and of the nature of glass that allows him to create inimitable works: figures entirely shaped by hand and included in blown glass or castings. “In my works, I represent mainly scenes of bacchanalia, with satyrs, nymphs, angels, gods, mythological figures set in dramatic or erotic scenes. But it's all very figurative and realistic.” In his recent “Escape from coronavirus,” Lucio mixes current events with history, depicting Charon on a boat with the damned, two devils pulling them along and above Hermes the god of medicine with two angels protecting him. On the side, two chalices surmount two spheres that look like the coronavirus, with glass snakes projecting out of them. “It took me a couple of months to make it but the idea is a glance, a split second.”

Interview

Pietro Lucerni ©Michelangelo Foundation

Pietro Lucerni ©Michelangelo Foundation

Is lampworking a family tradition?

My father worked as a glassblower in a Murano furnace, which is a very different technique. I decided on lampworking because it’s more poetic and done individually, with just a flame and a few tools. Almost like a painter's canvas.

How did you develop your passion for mythological figures?

At the age of six or seven, I was fascinated by history books, where I would put a little piece of paper to mark the pages with photos and illustrations of ancient Greek figures, Roman warriors and mythological creatures. I was attracted more to these bodies than I was to comic books.

When did you realise that you had become a master?

After ten years of working, someone told me I was making the most beautiful lampwork horses in Murano. But lampworking has so many nuances: I do figurative and architectural work, even in big sizes, while others specialise in miniatures.

Is it difficult to be successful in this craft?

Compared to glassblowers, only very few lampworkers manage to enter the art world: it’s like climbing a high mountain. However, I feel I have explored this technique in a very instinctive way and moved on without looking at what others were doing.

Lucio Bubacco is a master artisan: he began his career in 1971 and he started teaching in 1993

Works

©All rights reserved

©All rights reserved

©All rights reserved

©All rights reserved

©All rights reserved

©All rights reserved

©All rights reserved

Where

Experiences

Lampworking workshop in Venice

1 Day

200 EUR