Adriano Dalla Valentina was born in Murano in 1945 and passed away in 2019. At the age of 10, he began working in a glass furnace. Then, for the next 14 years, Adriano worked in several Murano glass art furnaces. Due to this vast experience, he perfected his glass working skills quickly. Incredibly, Valentina established his independence at the age of 24, opening his own furnace in 1980.

Throughout the years, Valentina built a reputation in Murano as one of the greatest glass Maestros. In fact, he was a model for future generations. He was extremely dedicated to keep the glassblowing tradition alive. For instance, in later years he devoted himself to working with students of the Art Institute of Venice.

Although Valentina’s glass art sculpture talents were both broad and deep, he is best recognized as a master of classic Venetian glass styles, including murrine and filigrana. He was criticized at times for being too invested in traditional techniques but continued to advance them.

In the last 10-15 years of his career, Valentina worked closely with his son Stefano, a gifted glass artist in his own right. Stefano is a graduate of the Venice Art Institute. His refined sense of formal design influenced Adriano’s later work.

Adriano Dalla Valentina was featured at countless major showings in Venice and throughout Europe during his lifetime. His creations continue to be treasured worldwide.