Fabio Fornasier glass artist of Murano and contemporary designer

Glass as artistic research between Murano tradition and conceptual innovation

Fabio Fornasier has been working with glass since 1979 and today is one of the most compelling protagonists of contemporary glass design. His production spans contemporary art and technological innovation, placing light at the centre as a narrative material. His LU chandeliers design, born in Murano and recognised internationally, are blown glass installations that inhabit galleries, museums and contemporary architecture.

LU Murano represents a transformation in the conception of the Venetian chandelier. Every piece is hand-blown, shaped at high heat and conceived as an autonomous organism: the fluid forms, never identical, appear suspended in a gesture still in progress. A creative laboratory in constant evolution that redefines Venetian glass artistry.

Fabio Fornasier with LU Murano turquoise chandelier, 30 lights — Murano glass artist and designer

Fabio Fornasier recognised as Maestro d'arte e mestiere — award for Murano glass artistry

MAM – Master of Art and Craft: recognition of excellence

In 2024, Fabio Fornasier received the prestigious MAM – Master of Art and Craft recognition from the Cologni Foundation for the Crafts. This lifetime achievement award, presented during the Homo Faber event on the Island of San Giorgio in Venice, represents the culmination of a life dedicated to artisanal excellence and artistic research.

The Cologni Foundation selects its Masters of Art and Craft with extreme care, recognising artisans who have successfully combined tradition and innovation, keeping Italian craft traditions alive. For Fornasier, this recognition represented “great happiness and a strong source of pride”, confirming the artistic and cultural value of his professional journey.

Design as “Illuminating Works”

“Illuminating Works” is the expression with which Fornasier defines his creations. Each LU is born from a free composition of glass elements, assembled one by one according to a logic that embraces randomness, balance and intuition.

They are luminous visions created to transform space, a glass ikebana that dialogues with the environment.
The variety of colours, finishes and transparencies allows each chandelier to be a unique piece.

Some models dialogue with contemporary minimalism, others enhance historic environments with lightness and visual strength. Each LU tells a timeless story, where Venetian craftsmanship and contemporary design merge.

Showroom LU Murano Chandeliers by Fabio Fornasier

Aria e Fuoco chandelier in blown Murano glass — from concept to creation by Fabio Fornasier

From idea to realisation, the cycle of beauty

The genesis of the LU Murano project dates back to 2003, when Fabio Fornasier presented Aria e Fuoco chandelier, an innovative oil-powered chandelier that subsequently became LU Murano in its electrified version. This transition marks the evolution of an idea that has transformed and adapted whilst maintaining its expressive power intact.

Every creation is born from a process of daily experimentation. “I am very curious and even today I look forward to opening the cooling furnace in the morning to see the result of my work”, recounts the master.

This perpetual curiosity is the engine of research that never stops, where every error becomes a lesson and every success a starting point for new explorations.

Glass technological innovation and the future

In recent years, the LU project has experimented with technological solutions that redefine the function of blown glass.

The ilLUsion collections with integrated audio system and TechnoLUgy realised in carbon fibre and glass testify to a radical vision: glass as an interface of the future, between artisanal matter and new technologies.

Fornasier's research is never an end in itself. Every prototype is a concrete proposal, designed to inhabit the real world. The use of carbon fibre, for example, allows transcending weight limitations and considering chandeliers even in suspended or complex architectural contexts.

ilLUsion chandelier in blown Murano glass — a contemporary design by LU Murano

Fabio Fornasier at the furnace — environmental sustainability in Murano glassmaking

Environmental sustainability and Murano's green furnace

In 2023, Fabio Fornasier realised a pioneering environmental sustainability project that transforms his furnace into a model of circular economy. Collaborating with En Future and Gi Costruzioni Meccaniche, he developed an innovative waste heat recovery system that redefines the energy approach of the glass sector.

The system functions by recovering the natural heat that disperses from furnaces (60-100 degrees), normally wasted, and channelling it towards water tanks. The heated water is accumulated in cisterns and used for domestic and laboratory heating through a hydronic system supported by heat pumps for winter heating and summer air conditioning.

The results are extraordinary: gas costs for powering traditional boilers have been completely eliminated, now replaced by a system that uses a much reduced quantity of electrical energy to power the pumps. An energy recovery system that represents a replicable model for Murano furnaces.

This innovation demonstrates how Fornasier is a precursor not only in glass artistry, but also in the ecological transition of the sector, proving that artisanal tradition and environmental sustainability can coexist in perfect harmony.

The heritage of fire and glass

Fabio Fornasier, born in 1963, carries forward the legacy of Luigi Fornasier — a glassmaking tradition passed down through generations.

Today, together with his son Nicolò, he carries forward this cultural heritage, whilst his daughter Valentina manages relationships with international clients and architects.

“My heart's project is to become my son Nicolò's assistant”, confides the master. “Today he assists me, but the day we can reverse roles will be when I can recognise that he has arrived”.

This vision of knowledge transmission demonstrates how artisanal excellence is built over time, through patience and dedication.

Niccolo, Fabio and Valentina Fornasier — three generations of Murano glass artistry

Murano as a contemporary starting point

Fabio Fornasier works in his furnace in Murano, where he combines experimentation with production. Son of the master Luigi Fornasier, he learned the art of glassmaking, then chose an independent path made of travels, design studies, and engagement with contemporary art.

Over time, he has developed a personal language that relates Murano craftsmanship with an open and international vision.

Artistic training, aptitude for drawing and inclination for design have defined an unmistakable aesthetic that characterises contemporary blown glass techniques.

International recognition and museum collections

Fornasier's works are present in permanent collections and exhibitions in Europe and worldwide. The Murano Glass Museum, the Philips Museum in Eindhoven, the Berengo Exhibition Space and the Wine Museum of Gerovassiliou host his works, confirming the artistic value of his creations.

In 2010, he received the UK Lighting Design Award for the originality of the LU project. He has exhibited at the Royal College of Art in London, participated in the Venice Biennale and created installations at Caffè Florian with Murano Sottovuoto.

His work continues to be selected by galleries and institutions dealing with design and contemporary art.

Teaching and transmission of glass knowledge

Beyond his furnace activity, Fornasier is an international teacher and trainer. He has taught at the Royal College of Art, the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam, CERVAF in France and the Abate Zanetti Glass School in Murano. Through his method, he transmits not only glass techniques but also a design vision capable of generating new ideas.

His teaching philosophy is based on a fundamental principle: “One must start from the basics and not think of being able to skip steps. Ours is an extremely technical craft that grows with experience and mistakes; every false step has its reason”.

This artisanal wisdom represents the essence of Murano mastery.

The contemporary challenge of Murano glass

Today, the world of Murano glass faces unprecedented challenges. Energy and raw material costs have increased drastically, whilst qualified workforce is scarce.

“Masters are fewer and fewer: it's not easy to count ten today”, observes Fornasier. However, this difficulty also represents an opportunity for those who know how to distinguish themselves.

For this reason, the glass artist represents the contemporary evolution of Venetian glass artistry, where every technical gesture is enriched with artistic content and every innovation respects the cultural heritage of the island of Murano.

His creations continue to evolve, confirming how Italian excellence can achieve worldwide recognition whilst maintaining its cultural identity.

Personal exhibitions

2019 Italia – Venezia “Murano Sottovuoto al Florian” – Caffè Florian, Piazza San Marco, Venezia
2013 Italia – Venezia “ilLUsion” – Hotel Liassìdi Palace, Venezia
2008 Italia – Venezia “LU(in)niverso – Istituto Veneto di Scienze Lettere ed Arti – Palazzo Cavalli Franchetti
2008 Italia – Venezia “Eros VS Thanatos” – Centrale Lounge
2007 Italia – Milan “Oriente” – Make Up Studio Diego Dalla Palma
2006 Italia – Brescia “VI” – Antica Cantina Fratta Berlucchi
2005 Italia – Venezia “Schizzi DiVini” – Wine on canvas ft. Andrea Penzo – Galleria Imagina
2005 Italia – Venezia “Inferno” – Centrale Lounge
2004 Italia – Padova “Not there – here” – Galleria Zero Karati
1999 Italia – Zurich “Screpoai” – Sela Gallery
1999 Italia – Venezia “Artisti Emergenti” – Galleria San Nicolò

Museum Collections

Fondazione di Venezia a Palazzo Flangini - Lampadari LU Murano
Museo del Vetro – Murano, Italy - Lampadario LU Murano
Berengo Exhibition Space – Murano, Italy - Lampadario VI
Gerovassiliou Wine Museum – Epanomi, Greece - Lampadario VI
Philips Museum – Eindhoven, Netherlands - Lampadari LU Murano

Awards

MAM Award – Maestro d'Arte e Mestiere
England Winner UK Lighting Design Awards of the Year 2010
South Korea – Cheongju “5th Cheongju International Competition” – Third Place - Lampe VI”
Italy – Venice “Venezia Aperto Vetro” – First Prize in the Youth Section

Teaching

Denmark – Bornholm Bornholm Glas Keramiksojolen
France – Vannes Le Chatel CERVAF
England – London Royal College of Art
Italia – Murano Scuola del Vetro Abate Zanetti
Italia – Bolzano Vetroricerca
Netherlands – Amsterdam Gerrit Rietveld Academy
USA – Seattle Pilchuck Glass School

Group exhibitions

2022 Italia – Murano “The Italian Glass Weeks” – Fabio Fornasier Glass Studio
2022 Italia – Murano “Homo Faber in Città” – Venezia
2023 Italia – “Homo Faber Guide" - Inserimento nella guida ufficiale – Venezia
2018 Italia – Murano “The After” – The Venice Glass Week – Murano Gallery LUAB 4.0
2018 Italia – Murano “Lux Lumen” – GAS 2018 – Berengo Exhibition Space
2017 Italia – Murano “Light Blowing” – The Venice Glass Week – Murano Gallery LUAB 4.0
2016 Italia – Murano “Murano Oggi” – Museo del Vetro di Murano
2016 Italia – Venezia “Design.ve”
2016 Italia – Villa dei Vescovi “Glass.Arte del Vetro Oggi” Luvigliano di Torreglia (PD)
2012 China – Shanghai “Tradizione e Innovazione – L’Italia in Cina” Shanghai Italian Center – Triennale di Milano
2011 Latvia – Riga “Glasstress” – Art Museum Riga Bourse
2007 South Korea – Cheongju “Cheongju International Biennale”
2007 Italia – S.Vito al Tagliamento – “Vitraria”
2006 Italia – Venezia “10° Mostra Internazionale di Architettura” – Spezio CZ Biennale di Venezia
2005 Italia – S.Vito Tagliamento “Vitraria”
2003 Italia – S.Vito Tagliamento “Vitraria” Aria e Fuoco
2004 Italia – Venezia “Vetri nel Mondo oggi” – Palazzo Cavalli Franchetti
1998 Italia – Venezia “Venezia Aperto Vetro” – Palazzo Ducale Venezia (Catalogo)
1997 USA – Seattle “History of the World Gallery”
1997 France – La Riche “Salon International des Artistes Verriers”
1996 Italia – Venezia “Venezia Aperto Vetro” – Museo Vetrario Murano

Fabio Fornasier