Torcello model table, by Yali Glass.
When the Viennese Marie-Rose Kahane she moved with her family from London, where she lived, to Venice, 12 years ago, she realized that they did not have glassware for water and wine. What she did have was experience in costume design for the theatre. and fashion, so she decided to take the opportunity to live so close to the best glassmaking place, Murano, to learn how to create her own pieces.
Many of her friends started asking for them and being interested in them, so she decided to start designing and producing them with the help of her partner Felicity Menadue. In this way, Yali Glass was born, a firm that encompasses all the artisan magic of Venice.
Mignole table, from the Venetian firm Yali Glass.
“Applied arts had interested me for many years –furniture, ceramics, metal work, textiles–, but my special passion for glass began when I discovered Paolo Venini and his radical influence when the firm asked important architects like Scarpa to design glass pieces. The combination of great design and unique craftsmanship made glass material very attractive.” she explains to us.
“Glass comes in many forms, be it reflective, colourful, protective, transparent or opaque. It can be container-shaped or leaf-shaped. It is tough but fragile… much like people. I love the magical feeling of lightness and fragility that it conveys”, continues Marie-Rose.
In ancient Greek, Yali means 'glass', hence the name of the firm. “It links us to ancient history and the early manufacturing of those first little containers for essential oils. Glass is a material without limits, ranging from the very thin and fragile to the heavy and very resistant, like the one used by architects for skyscrapers”, says Marie-Rose.
Marie-Rose Kahane in her studio.
collaborate with the best local artisans, including glass blowers, turners, blacksmiths, jewelers, florists, papermakers and screen makers. Each piece is completely handmade and unique and, little by little, they have been introducing crockery, accessories and lighting. They also work with architects, artists, interior and fashion designers in specific projects related to glass and local craft traditions.
Yali Glass artisan vases.
Venice is Marie-Rose's home and endless source of inspiration for her. “I love the tranquility and beauty of the Giardini Reali, recently restored by the Venice Gardens Foundation and world-renowned garden architect Paolo Pejrone. Also San Giorgio offers a beautiful haven of peace and offers the best view of San Marco”, she reveals to us.
Her favorite restaurant is in Murano and it's called Aquastanca: “They serve by far the best food in Venice. And the wonderful owner of it, Giovanna, will always surprise you with a new dish and delicious wines.
Detail of the cathedral of San Marco.
THE USEFUL BEAUTY
What is special about Yali Glass pieces? "A timeless quality: we love the simplicity of forms and we also follow the dialogue between beauty and purpose / utility. After working with glassblowers in Murano for more than ten years, I am more and more surprised and curious about the The beauty that arises from some errors or unplanned events, those divergences in the process of realization. True beauty appears with imperfections, a bit of chaos and impermanence”, says the creator, whose decorative works are available worldwide in a selection of retailers, including London, New York, Vienna, Jaipur, Copenhagen and Tokyo.
Yali Glass ice cream spoons.
Of course, they are made for people who enjoy what is done by hand. “The look and feel of hand-blown glass is unique. Our production is slow and we make a limited number: our client likes the niche and objects that are not found everywhere. Many designs have a simplicity that suits all tables anywhere in the world and can be easily combined with other items. Other customers buy a whole collection of glasses, plates and bowls to give their home a new look.”
Island of San Giorgio Maggiore.
Sometimes, the creation of a new Yali piece is the development of an existing work. Others, it is a completely new idea that arises from a trip or a visit to a new place. "Observing mountains and lakes has given our collection new organic shapes. We draw and discuss as a team, Yali Glass we are four closely connected people in our studio. Felicity Menadue and Pietro Haas provide critical insights, and Pamela Trentin calculates the financial viability of each new piece. The next step is to make prototypes and the changes to be made”, specifies the designer, whose Isola table took 18 months to develop.
Venice is an inexhaustible source of inspiration.
LOVE FOR JAPAN
Born in Vienna, Marie-Rose feels a deep rootedness in the essential aesthetics of architects such as Loos and Hoffman. “Many trips to Japan have reconfirmed my love for the reduced simplicity and sophisticated harmony of handmade objects. Being able to show my work in that country is a great honor and has a lot of meaning for me. Japanese culture has always impacted me and I am especially attracted to Japanese cinema, literature and garden design. His sense of harmony and balance have greatly influenced me over the years.”
Yali Glass: the eternal charm of Murano glass.
Marie-Rose loves to travel. “I really enjoy the preparation: reading a book about a new place, looking at art and pictures. It seems that I start a trip long before I get on the plane. The pleasure and emotion that it generates in me is wonderful.” For her, going to Japan once a year is very important: “Meeting my friends there, enjoy seeing the delicate perfection of each ship, savor the delicious food and, if you are lucky, see the colors of autumn.”
Marie-Rose Kahane decided to found the firm Yali Glass after moving to Venice.