Davide Salvadore (b. 1953) learned glassmaking in the workshops of the Venetian island of Murano at an early age. His investigations of color and texture led him to Africa in 1996. He was fascinated by the beauty of African culture and studied it closely. This can be seen in his work in which he reinterprets and reinvigorates traditional African symbols, translating them into the medium of glass, producing vases with curious slits, musical instruments, and warrior spears.

Salvadore employs mostly earth tones in his work, along with splashes of brilliant colors that bring to mind the patterns of African textiles. He uses traditional Venetian techniques, such as incalmo, cane and murrine work, filigree and battuto. Using tools he designed and built, Salvadore creates one-of-a-kind sculptures that push the boundaries of century-old traditions, while continuing the Venetian glassmaking tradition of adopting and adapting foreign sources of inspiration.

Salvadore has said: "My [latest] pieces are incarnations of my perspective on the world. They are not lifeless, but alive within themselves, containing memories of the past, sentiments about the present and aspirations for the future."

Selected Public Collections
Museum of Arts & Design, New York
National Glass Foundation, La Granja, Spain
Grand Crystal Museum, Taipei, Taiwan