YALI Glass ＋ KITAWORKS “MUCH IN COMMON”

The collaborative exhibition MUCH IN COMMON by Venice-based glass studio YALI Glass and Okayama-based furniture design studio KITAWORKS will open on June 9, 2023. The exhibition will feature a side table with a glass tabletop by YALI Glass and metal legs created by KITAWORKS. The project brings together two workshops from two different countries in a design and manufacturing collaboration.

Event details

Additional works will be on display from both studios. Focusing on the experience of home, YALI Glass has assembled a collection of vases, drinking glasses, and other pieces for the table to augment the studio’s presentation of its newest exploration: glass lamps, to be introduced for the first time at Arts & Science. From KITAWORKS, a selection of pieces that add color to a living space will be presented, including glass cabinets, tables, chairs, and colorful stools. All will be available to order during the exhibition.

Marie-Rose Kahane, the owner and designer of YALI Glass, will visit Japan for the first time in nine years to be present at the exhibition. The YALI team and Takashi Kita of KITAWORKS will welcome everyone at the exhibition opening on Friday, June 9. We look forward to your visit.

ISOLA

〈ISOLA〉 The rounded and sinuous form of the Isola table is an homage to the landscape of the Venetian lagoon in which the islets, shorelines, and channels create basins of water in irregular shapes. The organic outline of the transparent glass is also inspired by the thick slabs of ice found in the Engadin in Switzerland.

YALI Glass

※ Click to enlarge

MESSAGE

“Our daily lives revolve around our homes. We like to reflect on how one feels in a home. At YALI we create objects for everyday use – glasses, plates, bowls – with the intention of adding something simple and luminous to a living space. We are drawn to the harmony of white in all its various hues as well as clear forms which bring a certain calm to our lives. The highest level of harmony is found in nature, and this is where we find our inspiration. Hence our newest pieces are named WAVES, ICE and SNOW. Glass and water are very close in their appearances.

The pieces in this exhibition are a result of our recent experimentation with various traditional Muranese glass-blowing techniques. We have created new pieces that incorporate texture and pattern within the glass. We have also played with the element of light – in the form of small table lamps – dramatically enhancing the textural quality of the glass. As well as lamps, the selection for the exhibition consists of items for the table and home, such as vases, bowls, serving trays, drinking glasses, and clothes hooks.

The central pieces of this show are the newly created KATI TABLES, which are the result of our very first collaboration with KITAWORKS. Our glass tabletops, which look very much like ice floats, were shipped to Takashi Kita, and this is how the adventure of a shared table began: glass from Italy and metal from Japan. KITAWORKS has a long history of producing refined metal works, and the new tables are the result of a very exciting encounter between highly skilled craftsmen from Japan and Italy. Most of the home pieces to be exhibited in Kyoto have been created specially to accompany the new tables.”

– Marie-Rose Kahane

*KATI：The name is a cross between YALI and KITA.

PROFILE

YALI Glass is a glass brand created by the founder and designer, Marie-Rose Kahane. After studying art history and psychology at the University of Jerusalem, she began her career as a costume designer. In 2009 Kahane moved to Venice, where she launched her Murano glass collection in celebration of “simplicity”. Her works are known for combining feminine delicacy with the traditional techniques of the master glass blowers on the island of Murano.

KITAWORKS

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MESSAGE

“The manufacturing process at KITAWORKS is focused on minimalist design; however, inspired by the organic forms created by YALI Glass, we made a table base that is both soft and sharp.”

– Takashi Kita

PROFILE

The history of Kitaworks dates back to 1978 with the founding of Kita Welding Industry, a community-based factory in the town of Tsuyama-shi in Okayama prefecture. The company was renamed Kitaworks in 2009 and continues its more than forty-year tradition of producing custom-made furniture using welding techniques. The pieces are made with a range of metals, including iron, stainless steel, copper, and brass, and are specially designed to function seamlessly with existing furniture and in the spaces where they will be enjoyed. Kitaworks also designs and manufactures furniture for retail spaces.

EVENT DETAILS

TITLE: YALI Glass ＋ KITAWORKS “MUCH IN COMMON”
KYOTO: HIN / Arts & Science, Nijodori Kyoto
June 9th (Friday) － June 25th (Sunday) / 11: 00 — 19: 00
Artist will be present: June 9th (Friday)
*The shop is closed on Tuesdays
: OVER THE COUNTER
June 30th (Friday) － July 17th (Monday) / 11: 00 — 19: 00
Takashi Kita will be present: June 30th & July 1st
*The shop is closed on Tuesdays