Wonderglass
Studio
A father-son duo whose glass
objects and lighting fuse traditional craftsmanship with
contemporary design.
Collaborating with renowned and emerging artists, Wonderglass fuses contemporary design with traditional craftsmanship to produce objects and lighting inspired by the mesmerising qualities of glass.
There is something undeniably fascinating about the work from Wonderglass. The studio’s lighting, objects and installations have a captivating, mesmerizing quality, as molten glass is shaped into surreal and sculptural forms. “Every single creation looks beautiful, on or off,” says Christian Mussati. Since founding Wonderglass in 2013, he and his father, Maurizio, have been moulding a new future in glassmaking by fusing contemporary design with traditional craftsmanship.
London-based but Italian-born, Christian and Maurizio had an interest in the Murano glass industry and wanted to establish a family business. While Christian was new to glassmaking and design, Maurizio had worked in executive roles for Bisazza, Flos, Moooi and Established and Sons. “We wanted to establish a new brand that relied on craftsmanship and skills from Venice, and that could leverage our international connections and capabilities in contemporary design,” Christian explains. In 2013, Wonderglass unveiled its first designs, including Flow[T], designed by Nao Tamura. Reflecting the company’s Venetian roots, this chandelier evokes an ethereal cityscape.
Wonderglass collaborates with renowned and emerging “artists” – an all-encompassing term for product designers, architects, fashion designers, sculptors, painters and artisans – who are inspired by the qualities of glass and how it can be pushed to achieve functional and fantastical results. Lighting by Marco Zito and BTM is also inspired by Venetian heritage, while Zaha Hadid and John Pawson explored glass as an expression of their approach to architecture in their designs for the studio.
Although it originated with lighting, Wonderglass now produces other artistic and architectural objects as well. Its brief to artists requires modular designs that offer consumers the freedom to create their own compositions. The Alcova collection, by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, is a series of geometric objects that can be arranged into colourful landscapes celebrating the movement of molten glass. Wonderglass debuted the collection in 2018, as well as a range of cast-glass mosaic tiles to create kaleidoscopic flooring that references refracted glass.
The finish of these tiles prompted a conversation between Nendo and Wonderglass, which led to the studio’s latest collaboration. Oki Sato, founder of Nendo and “master of illusion,” designed thirteen cast-glass furniture pieces and a chandelier using curved, viscous glass shaped by gravity. “Nendo transforms materials and spaces to have new meanings,” says Christian. “He knew what he wanted and asked that of the artisans. There are some limits you can’t cross, but others you can push, and this is why designers work with us – because we truly respect their vision and achieve it the best we can.”