YOICHI OHIRA: Beyond Venetian Glass

This exhibition is the first large-scale retrospective in Japan introducing the glass artist OHIRA Yoichi. Ohira was drawn to glass through reading about it in novels and was fascinated by Venice, famous for its splendid glass art. At the age of twenty-six, he went to Europe, aiming to became a glass artist. Overwhelmed by the depth of Venetian glass’s traditions and history, with its more than five centuries of glory, Ohira discovered his own path, based on his own concepts for works and created through collaborations with master glassmakers.

After working as a corporate designer, Ohira became independent and established his own style, with designs skillfully combining transparent and opaque glass. Ohira acquired ideas from Roman-period mosaic glass while also incorporating the forms of ceramics and lacquerware seen in the East Asian region. He skillfully harmonized the parameters of classic Western art with craft elements from the East. Having absorbed every aspect of the history of Venetian glass, Ohira sought to integrate Japanese and Venetian cultures and aesthetics. He ultimately transcended those vast traditions to achieve his own distinct style, creating glass whose beauty is universal.

This exhibition is focused on about 150 of Ohira’s works in glass, produced in Japan and abroad, combined with his detailed sketches and drawings and reference materials related to glass production that Ohira collected in his research. We hope you will enjoy these works, which present the quintessence of contemporary glass.

List of works

■Special Talk Event by Director Tsuchida　　　

Date: Saturday May 18, 2024 at 14:00-

Venue: Toyama Glass Art Museum 2F Lobby

Lecturer: TSUCHIDA Ruriko (Director, Toyama Glass Art Museum)

Language: Japanese

*No reservation required

*Free of charge

*The details will be provided at museum website.

■Curator’s Talk

Date: March 23, April 20, May 25, June 22, 2024 each at 14:00-

Venue: Toyama Glass Art Museum, Floors 2-3, Exhibition Rooms 1-3

Language: Japanese

*No reservation required

*Free of charge

■Special Lecture(tent.)

We will notify you as soon as details are decided.

*Ticket for this exhibition is required for admission to the exhibition rooms.

*Details will be announced on the museum’s website and official SNS sites, etc.

*These events are subject to cancellation or change by certain reasons.

Please check the museum website for the latest information.

Contact

Toyama Glass Art Museum
bijutsukan-01@city.toyama.lg.jp