One of the most famous and widely hailed glass masters in the world, Pino Signoretto, known for his incredible facility in sculpting from hot glass, died at the age of 74 on December 30th, 2017. Equally comfortable fabricating for international artists such as Salvatore Dali, Kiki Smith, and Jeff Koons, he never abandoned the traditional clowns and other classic Murano figures, which he rendered at larger scale and with greater fluidity than anybody else. A funeral service was held at the church of Santa Maria e San Donato, one of the oldest churches in Venice, on January 3rd, 2018, to honor the man Alfredo Barbini once called the rare type of maestro who comes along once in a century.
Born in the municipality of Favaro Veneto, just outside Venice in 1944, Signoretto began working for a glass house making chandeliers at the age of 10. As he became a teenager, he began to receive notice as an apprentice and then worker for such legendary glass masters such as Alfredo Barbini and Livio Seguso. The precocious Signoretto earned the title of maestro at the age of 16, and became renown for his range of knowledge and developed skill in working with glass, as well as an unrivaled technical expertise in the material. In 1978 he opened his own studio in Murano, and became famous for collaborating with artists around the world. He made work with Dale Chihuly, and was a regular guest at the Pilchuck Glass School, where he freely shared his unique skills. He also mad regular trips to Japan.
On his Facebook page, Dale Chihuly writes: "Pino was one of my best friends and one of the greatest glass sculptors of our time. He made extraordinary pieces and his skill and deep generosity of spirit helped not only me, but hundreds of other artists realize their creative vision.