Rago Auctions

Glass artist Laura de Santillana was born in Venice, Italy in 1955 into a family with a rich tradition of making Venini glass on the island of Murano since her grandfather, Paolo Venini, was the company's founder. In 1975, de Santillana moved to New York City and studied with noted graphic designer Milton Glaser at the School of Visual Arts. Likewise influenced by Massimo Vignelli, a renowned designer himself, de Santillana flourished, but she returned to Venice after college. In addition to producing art books, de Santillana began designing objects and lamps for Venini, alongside her father, Ludovico. She would also later establish her own glass shop, the EOS furnace, for which she served as artistic director.

During the 1990s, de Santillana collaborated with distinguished glass masters in Murano, including Lino Tagliapietra, Simone Cenedese, and Pino Signoretto, resulting in her notable Glass Book series, which consists of hand-blown glass sculptures that blur the line between painting and sculpture. Marked by a refined, minimalist approach, de Santillana pushed the technical boundaries of glass art, transcending its utilitarian origins.

While de Santillana passed away in 2019, she left an enduring legacy in glass art with her mastery of materials, artistic innovation, and profound exploration of the medium's boundless possibilities, captivating contemporary critics and collectors. During her lifetime, de Santillana had works exhibited all over the world and received numerous awards for her art. Examples of glass by de Santillana may be found today in the Glass Museum in Murano, the Corning Museum of Glass in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and other important collections.