Simone Crestani: a journey to discover a glass designer atelier
by Chiara Colmegna
Borosilicate glass objects by Atelier Crestani are now available on Design Italy. Discover the creations of glass designer Simone Crestani.
The art of Glass design
Contemporary designers deftly use glass to create handcrafted and industrial projects, from furnishings to decorative elements. Glass takes center stage in the works of Simone Crestani, who founded Atelier Crestani in 2010 after learning the art of glass from master Massimo Lunardon at his workshop in San Giorgio di Perlena, Italy.
Simone Crestani, Glass Designer
Originally from the northern Veneto region of Italy, a land that has nurtured the centuries-old Italian glass tradition, Simone Crestani’s works are loved worldwide. His experience and skill have taken him to prestigious glass academies and schools. He has lectured at the Corning Museum of Glass in New York and the Bezalel academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem, and has exhibited in several spaces including Centre du Luxe et de la Creation in Paris and Galerie Stevens in Maastricht. His recent projects include a collaboration with Adele Cassina for Milan Design Week 2019, where he presented his solo exhibition Poetry of Light, a display of Crestani’s “Rain” collection at the Adele-C showroom in Brera.
Borosilicate glass technique
Expressive power and technique combine with the personality that distinguishes each work of the Vicenza-based artisan. His creations are unique and one of a kind, made of blown borosilicate glass and worked entirely by hand. Unlike Murano glass, borosilicate glass is more transparent and resists heat and temperature changes better, allowing for more complex glass blowing processes. Crestani has been able to reinterpret the ancient technique of glass blowing by introducing the hollow sculpting technique that allows him to create pieces with large dimensions but smaller details. The artist and designer has managed to develop a personal language by harnessing his talents in working with such a delicate material as glass: impressive but light works with a sculptural style that leave one breathless.
On Design Italy, you’ll find collections including the fun and playful Bee Bottle Collection, whose protagonist is a small bee in all its details and that captures our attention. The main subject of his creations is nature, including plants and animals, while his glass creations pay homage to grandeur on the one hand and to fragility on the other.
