There are materials which challenge those who use them. They have to be manipulated, bent and forged with elemental force. They remain elusive, sometimes dangerous.

The Serenissima Republic sanctioned the transfer of the Venetian glass furnaces to Murano in 1295 in order to bring an end to the serious fires they caused.

Encircled by water, the master glass-makers played with fire and made light of the air, transforming silica sand from the earth into glass. Glass is a synthesis of light and matter: it transmits the energy of the former and the smooth solidity of the latter.

Observing the light playing on these iridescent compositions and touching the smooth surfaces on which the artist has sometimes carved out natural shapes making them rough and tactile gives us a sense of the charm of a composition in which nothing is left to chance. Roberto Perziano's pendants are perfect microcosms of emotion, harmonious miniature collections of the endless nuances of glass. Chalcedony, aventurine, murrine, gold and silver combine in the harmony of beauty releasing a concentrated and powerful energy. Every single piece is unique because nature is never the same twice. True craftsmanship - which differentiates the artist and the artisan from those dealing in mass production - is this, working together with nature and its elements. Dancing with matter, anticipating its creative flair with know how and technical skill and at the the same time treating it with respect, watching out for its potential and leaving it free to take ever changing expressive forms.

The dividing line between artist and artisan is a subtle one. Art is the highest expression of our inner life but to express itself it needs the practical help of hands which trace lines, forge, sculpt, colour and leave their mark. It is hands which warm up matter and bend it to the will of the creative mind. It is patient hand crafting which produces these jewels: works of art and intelligence in which the souls of the glass and the artist working it become one.

Every single piece is a unique object. Every fragment of glass tells a story. Every composition is a triumph won thanks to the artist’s ability to maintain a balance between forms and colours in a harmonious alchemy.