Sabrina Cavenaghi

Artist statement 

I got to know fused glass by chance, out of an opportunity…and it was the revelation of an artistic passion that I had not yet discovered.

I love the way sheets of glass fuse and create infinite shades, color variations, and depths by the way they catch the light. I’m intrigued by the properties of glass, how it is hard and heavy, and at the same time fragile and see-through, it feels solid and firm to the touch, but it looks like water. I like to experiment with the ways color in glass creates volumes and shapes, thick and heavy like  chunks, or extremely ethereal like in stringers and frits (spaghetti-like shapes and small confetti)  

I’ve always been fascinated by textiles and have a taste for color combinations, patterns, textures and depth that glass can recreate beautifully. I’m interested in experimenting with mixing and using glass with metal, leather, fur, rope, and embroidery.

BIO

I was born in a small town north of Milan, Italy and studied Business Administration at Bocconi University. Right after achieving my degree in Industrial Production Management I moved to Milan where I started teaching at Bocconi University and consulting with a firm.

I moved to Los Angeles in 1999, quitting my job to join my future husband. Through him I met Beatrice Tesdorpf, a glass artist and a friend then began working as her assistant. While working with Beatrice I designed pieces that sold under the BTG name with her collections for stores such as Barney’s and Twist just to name a couple. 

We left LA in 2004 and lived with our son traveling to Montana, Mexico, Italy, the Bay Area and finally settled in Malibu in 2017. We purchased, remodeled and eventually sold after moving away from many homes over those years. Remodeling our homes has been very rewarding work; creatively it gave me the opportunity of experimenting with materials and colors, integrating my glasswork in various spaces and creating different ambiences.

In Malibu, the Woolsey fire destroyed our home, we lost everything, including all of my glasswork. We recently decided to relocate and live between Nardò in the South of Italy and Todos Santos, BCS México. This will give me the opportunity to establish a new studio at our home in Todos Santos and work on a series of new pieces.