Ritsue Mishima's Glass Sculptures at Tristan Hoare and Gallerie dell'Accademia

Japanese artist Ritsue Mishima (born 1962 in Kyoto) presents two concurrent exhibitions in London and Venice. At Tristan Hoare Gallery in Fitzroy Square, London, her transparent glass vases are displayed alongside paintings by Alessandro Twombly in the show 'Confluence,' running until October 28, 2022. The works rest on mirrored pedestals that reflect the surrounding colors. Mishima moved to Venice in 1989 and splits her time between the two cities. Her glass sculptures are inspired by natural forms and created with Muranese master craftsmen. She does not make precise drawings, only quick sketches attached to the furnace mouth, relying on chance. Her works are deliberately colorless, as she believes transparent glass contains all colors through light. At Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice, her solo exhibition 'Ritsue Mishima, Glassworks' runs until November 27, 2022. The centerpiece is 'Colonna di luce,' an 8.2-meter-long column of ninety rounded glass elements suspended in Palladio's oval staircase. Fifteen sculptures on a mirrored table in front of the Palladian courtyard create optical doubling effects. Mishima's works are in public collections including Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, and Ernsting Foundation Alter Hof Herding in Germany. She received the Giorgio Armani Award from Sotheby's in London in 2001 and was nominated for the Bvlgari Avrora Award in Japan in 2022.