Oscar Zanetti - Bio

Murano Glass Master

Oscar Zanetti was born in Venice in 1961.  One of his ancestors, Abbott Zanetti, was the founder of The Museo del Vetro (Museum of Glass) and opened the Scuola del Vetro (Glass School) in XIXth Century. Oscar began working with glass at the age of fourteen and attended the Istituto d’Arte (Art School) in Venice. Like many apprentices, he started out as an assistant or "serventino". His technique was perfected when he worked with some of the most prestigious masters in Murano (Venini, La Murrina and Barovier & Toso) before joining the family business. Oscar’s father Licio – well-known artist – in fact wanted him to join the family’s furnace to further enhance his technique and to strengthen his artistic skill. It was there that Oscar ultimately achieved the status of Maestro in 1989 In 1990 Licio retired leaving Oscar to run the family business. Free from his father’s artistic influence he has added his own personal touch to the furnace’s work whilst continuing in the ancient Murano tradition. In 1993 Oscar moved to the new studio where he still works. He inherited his father's artistic talent, which he expresses through the ancient glass techniques of Murano (Calcedonio and Massello) as well as through new techniques invented in the furnace itself. He has a predilection for naturalistic subjects all executed rigorously by hand, in the best tradition of the great masters of Murano. Oscar Zanetti exhibits in many international shows, in Paris, London, New York and Frakfurt. Recently he also took part in the most famous Venetian exposition, the " Venezia Vetro Aperto". He has also worked with – and still works with – many artists, like Bruno Pedrosa, Rodica Tanasescu Vanni, Stefan Szczesny, Elvira Bach and Guido Pettenò, along with their desire to express themselves through glass.