Public Glass Artist Narcissus Quagliata

Narcissus Quagliata is an Italian-born glass artist who is world renowned for his exquisite large-scale installations in brilliant colors.  My favorite is the piece he is probably best known for and which garners an enormous number of photographs by visitors since its 2007 installation. "Wind, Fire and Time" Dome of Light at the Taiwanese mass transit station is a show stopper. It has 4,500 glass panels with four themes: water, earth, light and fire. Respectively, these represent birth, growth, glory, destruction and rebirth.

 (c) Narcissus Quagliata

But he has other works that are equally gorgeous such as the 

at the "Divinity in Light" at the Santa Maria Degli Angeli cupola/rotunda.

and at the Discovery Center in Washington D.C. he created the

"Discovery Mural"

Quagliata has had his work featured by the Bullseye Glass company (one of the largest glass suppliers to fused/flat/warm--these are interchangeable terms--artists).  He has taught at the highly regarded Pilchuck School, founded in part by fellow studio glass artist Dale Chihuly.  He is regarded by fused glass artists as  the master of flat/warm public glass installations.

Video with Quagliata

For me, he is an inspiration and a mentor of sorts--his methods and techniques are of great interest to me and his ability to create such enormous large scale glass artworks is a feat which I'd dearly love to emulate.  It is a matter of practice and opportunity.  In the meantime, I can learn a lot form his artworks, his book, and his videos.