At the Chapel of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Laura de Santillana and Alessandro Diaz de Santillana continue to captivate with their mastery in transforming glass into contemporary art. As heirs to the prestigious Venini dynasty, the Venetian siblings carry forward the Murano tradition with a style that is both unique and innovative.

Laura presents her renowned ‘glass books’ – glass sheets formed from the collapse of blown cylinders. Ranging in colour from opaque white to the luminous yellow of uranium glass, these enigmatic objects seem to hold mysterious knowledge. Among her most iconic works are the Blue Notebooks, inspired by Franz Kafka’s writings, where deep blue shades transition into rich greens.

Alessandro, by contrast, explores the theme of water through mirrored and black surfaces that resemble dark, enigmatic pools. Using a refined technique, he crafts thin, lightweight sheets, transforming glass into a fluid, almost ethereal material. While Laura’s works are solid and sculptural, Alessandro’s stand out for their delicacy and transparency. 

The exhibition celebrates the extraordinary vitality of Venetian glass, showcasing two distinct yet complementary approaches that seamlessly merge tradition with modernity.

See the catalogue