YOICHI OHIRA: Beyond Venetian Glass A Beyond Venetian Glass

Risveglio della primavera Vase, 2002, Collection of Mr. & Mrs. Hervé Aaron, New York, Photo by Francesco Ferruzzi, Courtesy Barry Friedman Gallery

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.

Venue:

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

Dates:

2024.3.9 sat – 2024.6.23 sun

Hours:

Sun-Thu 9:30-18:00

(admission until 17:30), Fri-Sat 9:30-20:00 (admission until 19:30)

Closed:

First and third Wednesdays

(except March 20, May 1), March 27, May 8

Organizer:

Toyama Glass Art Museum

With the Special cooperation of:

Barry Friedman Ltd.

Supported by:

Istituto Italiano di Cultura, THE KITANIPPON SHIMBUN, THE TOYAMA SHIMBUN, Kitanihon Broadcasting Co., Ltd., TOYAMA TELEVISION BROADCASTING CO., LTD., TULIP-TV INC.

Admission

General Public 1,200 yen (1,000 yen), University and College Students 1,000 yen (800 yen)

〇( ) for groups of 20 or more

〇Tickets for YOICHI OHIRA: Beyond Venetian Glass include admission to Permanent Exhibition

〇High school students and younger: Free

Works by YOICHI OHIRA

（left）Vaso a mosaico "Cerchi", 1996,（right）Piccola bottiglia a mosaico "Mantello del Carnevale", 1996, Collection of Toyama Glass Art Museum, Photo by SUEMASA Mareo

Il vento con fiori giallo Vase, 1998, Collection Mr. & Mrs. Hervé Aaron, New York, Courtesy Barry Friedman Gallery

Calice "Lampone", 1994, Collection of Toyama Glass Art Museum, Photo by SAIKI Taku

Calice "Caramea B", 1995, Collection of Toyama Glass Art Museum, Photo by SAIKI Taku

Colata di Lava N.22 Vase, 2005, Collection Barry Friedman, New York, Courtesy Barry Friedman Gallery

Il giorno della pioggia Vase, 2008, Collection Giulio Alessandri, Venice, Courtesy Barry Friedman Gallery

Finestre N.27 (Calice) Vase, 2007, Collection Barry Friedman, New York, Courtesy Barry Friedman Gallery

Courtesy Barry Friedman Gallery

*Reproduction of photos are prohibited.

Access

[From Toyama Station]

○20-minute walk.

○Take the tram (Shinaidensha) for Minamitoyamaeki-mae. Get off at Nishicho. 1-minute walk.

○Take the Loop Line tram (Shinaidensha Kanjō-sen). Get off at Grand Plaza-mae. 2-minute walk. (Tram takes approx. 10 minutes from Toyama Sta. to Nishicho/Grand Plaza-mae.)

[From Toyama Airport]

○Take the Airport Bus to Toyama Station (Airport Express Bus/Local Bus (Route no.36)) and get off at Sogawa. 4-minute walk.

〒930-0062

5-1 Nishicho, Toyama City, Toyama 930-0062, Japan

TEL 076-461-3100

FAX 076-461-3310

https://www.toyama-glass-art-museum.jp/en/