Year: 2023
Medium: glass
Dimensions: 35 x 22 x 22 cm (13 3/4 x 8 5/8 x 8 5/8 in.)
Acquired from ShugoArts, 2023
Colorless glass spheres remarkable for their exceptional clarity, overlap in Mishima's creations. The glass retains beautiful bubbles that softly diffuse light, casting a delicate gleam. Mishima’s works are created with the artisans on the islands of Murano, known for their Venetian glass studios. The sculptures of fire and fluid are created by the maestro (master) as technician and Mishima as conductor of imagination. Mishima describes it as “fruit of fire” in her book. These pieces evoke a sense of otherworldly completion, utilizing nearly perfect spheres to transport viewers elsewhere. Yet, Mishima's use of the term "fire" acknowledges the transformative journey from process to final product, reminding us that these seemingly cool objects emerged from blazing heat. “Venere” is an Italian word meaning Venus, the goddess of beauty and fertility in Roman mythology. Aphrodite in Greek mythology is seen as the same as Venus, who is also well known in the famous episode of Golden Apple (Apple of Discord) that led to “The Judgment of Paris,” which is said to be the flame of the Trojan War. Since she won the title of the most beautiful goddess after competing with Hera and Athena, she keeps holding the fruit of the apple with her.
