In the exhibition In Grimani. Ritsue Mishima Glass Works the Japanese artist finds unique opportunities in the ancient crafting traditions to create elaborate pieces using the time-honoured techniques that the expert hands of the Murano glass-masters have handed down through the centuries.
Mishima’s glass sculptures are generated by the transformation of the four natural elements, earth, fire, water and air-light, in an ongoing dialogue between the artist and the artisan that gives form to ideas.
The choice of this material, transparent and permeable to light as it constantly changes throughout the hours of the day and with the change of seasons, is a tribute to the culture of venice and the lagoon. The works on exhibit at Palazzo Grimani represent yet another step forward in the artist’s creative process: the decorations of this aristocratic sixteenth-century residence, which the artist loves so dearly and visits so often, have been a motive for further reflection in her search for formal and emotional harmony with the context in which they will be placed.