ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Karl Lagerfeld's Fire-Etched Glass Works Shown at Galerie Gmurzynska in St Moritz

exhibition · 2026-04-20

In February, Galerie Gmurzynska's St Moritz location showcased nine glass pieces etched by fire, which included triptychs from Karl Lagerfeld's 2012 publication, The Little Black Jacket. These images were embedded in glass at a temperature of 1,000°C. Although he arrived two hours late to the opening, Lagerfeld spent nearly three hours giving interviews. The Zurich gallery has been exhibiting his works since 1996. His creative endeavors encompass various methods, such as using honey and rubber for printing, producing giant-format Polaroids, and creating large fire-etched artworks. With a collection of 300,000 books, mainly focused on art and photography, Lagerfeld draws inspiration from Bauhaus and collaborates with brands like Chanel, Fendi, and Melissa. His Paris studio mirrors traditional artist workshops, highlighting the importance of technical teams.

Key facts

  • Karl Lagerfeld exhibited nine fire-etched glass works at Galerie Gmurzynska in St Moritz
  • The works are based on portraits from his 2012 book The Little Black Jacket
  • Images were fused into glass at 1,000°C using ceramic pigments
  • Galerie Gmurzynska has shown Lagerfeld's work since 1996
  • Lagerfeld maintains a personal library of about 300,000 art and photography books
  • He uses rare techniques including honey-and-rubber printing adapted from Alphonse Poitevin
  • Lagerfeld cites Bauhaus artists Oskar Schlemmer and Walter Gropius as influences
  • His Paris studio collaborates with publisher Gerhard Steidl for exhibitions

Entities

Artists

  • Karl Lagerfeld
  • Edward Ruscha, Jr
  • Kurt Schwitters
  • Wassily Kandinsky
  • Lyonel Feininger
  • Oskar Schlemmer
  • Walter Gropius
  • Alphonse Poitevin
  • Marie Laurencin
  • Anthony van Dyck
  • Peter Paul Rubens

Institutions

  • Galerie Gmurzynska
  • Chanel
  • Fendi
  • Tate
  • Bauhaus
  • Melissa
  • Artreview

Locations

  • St Moritz
  • Switzerland
  • Zurich
  • Paris
  • France
  • Milan
  • Italy
  • Brazil

Sources