Orfeo Quagliata

He is an industrial designer and founder of Studio Orfeo Quagliata. He brings to the studio more than 2 decades of experience working glass, combining design with the dedication and skill of a craftsman. The lack of innovation in glass processes motivated Orfeo to inject new life into the world of glass by introducing various advanced techniques that are now displayed throughout his collections.
 
Born in San Francisco in 1972, Orfeo Quagliata is the son of acclaimed glass artist Narciso Quagliata, a leading 1960s figure in the American Studio glass movement. 
Orfeo was attracted to glass from a very young age and began as an apprentice to his father at the age of 12. The two continued to work together on various projects over the years, including the design and creation of the new glass dome for the last  of Michelangelo's architectural structure- the Basilica of Santa Ana Maria del Angel and del Martiri in Rome. 
 
Before entering university, Orfeo was also an apprentice to the Catalan glass artist, José Fernández Castrillo, from whom he learned cold work techniques that have become the cornerstone of his current work. He then returned to San Francisco to study furniture and industrial design at the California College of the Arts (CCA), earning a BFA with high distinction in 1999.
 
At CCA, Orfeo turned away from glass to experiment with other materials and studied under the guidance of prominent furniture designer and architect Chris Deam. He worked with Deam as an assistant for 3 years, which included working on projects for Airstream and Herman-Miller. Industrial design renewed the inspiration for glass for Orfeo with the desire to apply his training in both disciplines to test his limits. With this vision, he created a new product line for Studio Nouvel, which was so well received that the two decided to partner to create Phuze.
 
Orfeo's eclectic approach to design points to early influences acquired from the work of his father and also from his grandmother, Herta Jalkotzy, winner of awards for her jewelry design at The colective Wiener Werksätte, founded by Gustav Klimt. His work continues an inherited tradition in glass and jewelry, while articulating a strong unconventional style of his own. Orfeo currently lives and works in Mexico City, his home since 2000.