Works

Pierre Marie Giraud Brussels presents a solo exhibition of works by Japanese artist Yoichi Ohira (1946 – 2022). The exhibition brings together a selection of works spanning several periods, offering insight into Ohira’s approach to glass. Born in Tokyo, Ohira developed his practice between Japan and Italy, moving to Venice in 1973 where he trained at the Accademia di Belle Arti and began a long collaboration with Murano glassmakers. He established a distinctive position, working closely with master artisans to realise precisely conceived designs.

Ohira’s work centres on glass vessels that challenge conventional expectations of the material, often evoking the qualities of stone, ivory, or mineral surfaces through a combination of opacity and translucency. Drawing on Venetian techniques and Japanese aesthetics, he developed a visual language informed by natural forms. Rather than emphasising gesture, Ohira worked from carefully executed drawings, translating them into objects through close collaboration with Murano craftsmen. His practice remained independent from stylistic movements, focusing on the controlled transformation of material and the precision of surface.