Artisan Christian Pellizzari Crafts Wildly Imaginative Murano Installations
The former fashion talent conceives otherworldly glassworks which command attention with their slithering forms
Like forbidden fruit, the wondrous vine-like formations fashioned by Christian Pellizzari tend to coax curious eyes. When Printemps opened in lower Manhattan this spring, the Italian artisan’s spellbinding Murano glass creations inhabited the window niches, where they evoked a dreamy pageant of luminous plant life. They also entranced passersby in the storefront display of Nilufar’s prestigious Via della Spiga gallery during Milan Design Week.
Pellizzari, who was born in a small village near Venice, grew up “fascinated by antique glass manufacturing, especially chandeliers,” he says, but pursued a career in fashion after studying at Polimoda in Florence. Following early stints at Italian label Tonello and French couture house Vionnet, he launched a namesake brand recognized for eclectic, sports-inspired eveningwear. His unique sartorial style caught the attention of Giorgio Armani, who hand-selected the up-and-coming talent to present his first-ever runway show in 2014.
Even with the fashion legend’s glowing endorsement, Pellizzari struggled to stay afloat during the pandemic and decided to reset. “It was a good period for me,” he recalls. “I was enjoying my time in the countryside, sketching, cooking, and taking time to think.” Cabin fever compelled him to redesign his apartment in Milan, which sparked memories of an encounter with a master Venetian glassblower years before. Why not arrange a visit and immerse himself in the craft?
Pellizzari began conjuring up serpent-like chimeras of metal, marble, and Murano glass, and under the tutelage of the city’s master craftsmen realized them piecemeal using ancient techniques. “Sometimes you have surprises, other times disasters,” he says with a laugh. “The trick is to go every day and follow their lead.” In 2022, curator Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte perused his sketches at a dinner and without hesitation asked him to present his debut glass installation at Nomad, the roving collectible design fair Bellavance-Lecompte cofounded. The next edition, held in the 14th-century Certosa di San Giacomo monastery on the cliffs of Capri, was opening in two months.
The designer finished his piece half an hour before the fair opened. The artwork, which resembles a sinuous creature slithering through the cloister’s sage-filled courtyard, was made with 300 handblown Murano glass bowls strung together like bioluminescent vertebrae, culminating in a gleaming palm tree. It sold within the first hour. Pellizzari immediately knew his primary creative language had evolved from fashion to glass and shuttered his label.
Commissions at Art d’Egypte inside a historic Cairo theater followed, as did equally wondrous installations at Nomad Saint Moritz. Nilufar started representing Pellizzari in 2023 after founder Nina Yashar became enamored with his sculptural approach to glass. “He doesn’t attempt to control the material in a traditional sense,” she says, “but rather works with it intuitively, allowing its natural qualities to shape the outcome.”
Pellizzari’s current practice. He passes the time by devouring old herbology and jewelry books to inspire future pieces, which he enthusiastically brings to life with the same team of artisans. The slower speed of creating collectible design offers a reprieve from the fashion calendar, which constantly demands newness, and he’s reveling in the newfound breathing room. “When I make something with my hands, I feel more connected with myself,” he says. “You must have the curiosity to discover and try.”
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2025 Fall Issue under the headline “Glass Roots.” Subscribe to the magazine.