Art beyond boundaries: The Novaro touch

French artist Jean Claude Novaro exhibits his collection in Karachi.

KARACHI:

As you walk into the Unicorn Gallery, remarkable glass sculptures catch your eye. The glass art exhibition, which commenced on November 24, continues till December 2. Founder of Unicorn Gallery Seemah Niaz spoke passionately about Novaro’s work, “The work whether it is an ashtray or a sculpture in the shape of a fish, has been made by a glass blowing technique which Novaro learned 40 years ago.”

“We are very honoured to display Novaro’s work here. Pakistan has a long tradition in art, but the perception of art is often limited to paintings and sculptures. It is a great honour to start a series of international exhibitions in Pakistan,” added Niaz.

Thirty-five pieces of creations have been displayed and the price ranges between Rs40,000 and Rs475,000. When Niaz was questioned why the pieces were so expensive, she replied, “We tried discussing the prices of the glass objects with Novaro, and he informed us that he has to pay 60 per cent of tax duty on them in France, excluding the cost of upkeep and processing these objects. He earns only a fraction of the amount from these creations.”

Having lived in Cote d’Azur, southern France, for four decades, Novaro moved to the UAE recently.  He was supposed to visit Pakistan but wasn’t allowed to travel because of his bad health.

Talking  to The Express Tribune via email, Jean Claude Novaro said, “I started at the age of 14 in a glass factory and grew step by step to the point that I am. Honestly, I never thought I would go so far, I am just a pure artist. There was no ambition but only pure passion for my art. Now, I am just pushing my limits by introducing new techniques year after year. I think my success is due to the fact that I am a pioneer in what I do.”

Novaro has made unique glass creations by integrating 24-carat gold and photo-luminescent pigment inside glass. Niaz says that there are some creations which have silver, gold and semi-precious stones embedded in them. Regarding the innovations, Novaro added, “It is all just part of the research work I do. To integrate layers of gold has required five years of research and it took me seven years of research to find a way to include luminescent-pigment.”

The skills he learnt almost 45 years ago have given him international recognition. His collectors include well known names like Bill Cosby, Jacque Chirac, Mike Tyson, Prince Albert II of Monaco and Robert de Niro. Novaro has also made his way into the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest hand blown coupe (vase) ever made. He adds, “I love new challenges. It is about pushing the limits in my art from the technique point of view to even the size of the artwork.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 29^th, 2011.