Yoichi Ohira 1946–

Yoichi Ohira was born in Japan and moved to Italy in 1973. After working as an apprentice at the Kagami Crystal Company in Tokyo, Ohira graduated in Sculpture from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia with a dissertaion on the aesthetics of glass. In 1973, he began working with Egidio Costantini’s Fucina degli Angeli and participated in numerous collective and personal exhibitions, presenting sculptures made with the combination of plated metal and glass. In 1987, he started a collaboration as a designer with the Vetreria de Majo in Murano. That same year, Ohira was awarded the Premio Selezione at the Premio Murano. He began working as an independent artist in the early ’90s, creating magnificent one-of-a-kind pieces, which he made in collaboration with the skillful maestro glassblower Livio Serena from Murano. He has participated in the most important international exhibitions and his works are greatly appreciated by private collectors as well as many public museums. Yoichi Ohira’s work is, today, part of the permanent collections of museums such as the Victoria and Albert Museum of London, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Koganezaki Glass Museum in Shizoka, Japan, and many others.

Photograph by Luca Vignelli
Gioco del fuoco
1999

Yoichi Ohira Gioco del fuoco 1999

Vessels from the Metamorfosi series. Handblown glass rods with murrine glass. The one on the left with polished surface. The one on the right with inclusion of powders, polished surface finished a ghiaccio.

Engraved: Yoichi Ohira m. L. Serena 1/1 unico 1999.
9 1/16 in. high (23 cm)
6 3/4 in. high (17.1 cm)

Bibliography and comparative texts:
R. Linzeler, 1922, p. 666;
C. Carrà, 1923, p. 67;
R. Linzeler, 1923, p. 83;
R. Papini, 1930, n. 570;
G. Mariacher, 1967, p. 98;
R. Barovier Mentasti, 1982, n. 252;
Mille anni…, 1982, n. 503;
F. Deboni, 1984, p. n. 70;
W. Neuwirth, 1987, nn. 7, 104;
A. Dorigato, 1986,
p. 71;
F. Deboni, 1989, n. 1;
L’arte del vetro, 1982, n. 307;
M. Heiremans, 1993, n. 191;
M. Barovier, R. Barovier Mentasti,
A. Dorigato, 1995, n. 15;
A. Venini Diaz de Santillana, 1996, n. 1;
R. Barovier Mentasti, 1998, n. 25;
A. Venini Diaz de Santillana, 2000, n. 1;
Olnick Spanu, 2000, n. 8;
Olnick Spanu, 2001, n. 13.

Gioco del fuoco
1999
Photograph by Luca Vignelli
Luna prima, seconda, terza, quarta fase
1999

Yoichi Ohira Luna prima, seconda, terza, quarta fase 1999

Vessels in glass crafted with glass rods and powders. The four vessels represent the phases of the moon and their relative chromatic variations. Polished finish.

Engraved: Yoichi Ohira m. L. Serena 1/1 unico Thursday 10 giugno 1999 murano
9 1/2 in. high (24.2 cm)

Engraved: Yoichi Ohira m. L. Serena 1/1 unico Thursday 1999 murano
10 1/4 in. high (26.1 cm)

Engraved: Yoichi Ohira m. L. Serena 1/1 unico Wednesday 26 maggio 1999
10 3/4 in. high (27.3 cm)

Engraved: Yoichi Ohira m. L. Serena Wednesday 26 maggio 1999
9 7/8 in. high (25.1 cm)

Luna prima, seconda, terza, quarta fase
1999
Photograph by Luca Vignelli
Murrine con polvere
2000

Yoichi Ohira Murrine con polvere 2000

Vessel in a murrine glass with inclusion of powders, surface finished at the carving wheel.

Engraved: Ohira m. L. Serena pezzo unico1/1 Friday 24/11/2000 murano.
5 7/8 in. high (15 cm)

Exhibitions:
2001, Milan, Murano: Vetri dalla Collezione Olnick Spanu, Spazio Oberdan.

Bibliography and comparative texts:
Olnick Spanu, 2001, n. 202.

Murrine con polvere
2000
Photograph by Luca Vignelli
Polveri
1997

Yoichi Ohira Polveri 1997

Vessels from the series Acqua Alta in glass crafted from multicolored rods with inclusions of powders and in light blue trasparent glass finished at the carving wheel.

Engraved: Ohira m. L. Serena m. G. Barbini 1/1 unico 1/2/2000;
Yoichi Ohira m. L. Serena G. Barbini 1/1 unico 05/11/99.
6 5/8 in. high (16.8 cm)
6 3/4 in. high (17.2 cm)

Exhibitions:
1999, Venice, Vetri Veneziani Ohira ­ Collezione Pasta vitrea, Café Florian;
2001, New York, Yoichi Ohira,
Barry Friedman Gallery;
2001, Milan, Murano: Vetri dalla Collezione Olnick Spanu, Spazio Oberdan.

Bibliography and comparative texts:
R. Nardi, 1999, pp. 14-15;
M. Barovier, 1999, p. 369;
Olnick Spanu, 2001, n. 201;
B. Friedman, 2002, p. 186.