Carlo Nason

Carlo Nason was born in Murano in 1935 into one of the island’s oldest glassmaking families. His father, Vincenzo Nason, founded V. Nason & C., where Carlo was introduced to the most refined glassmaking techniques.

Although his formal studies were in economics and administration, his true education came at the furnace, where he mastered traditional skills while developing a passion for design, photography, and graphics. His earliest works from the late 1950s are still preserved today in the collection of the Corning Museum of Glass, New York.

In the 1960s he began working formally for the family glassworks but quickly expanded beyond it, collaborating with other Murano workshops and pursuing a distinctly modern vision. His designs combined craftsmanship and innovation, balancing Murano traditions with the clean forms and modularity of contemporary design.

Collaboration with AV Mazzega

From the mid-1960s until the 1980s, Carlo Nason designed an entire generation of lamps for AV Mazzega. Under Gianni Bruno Mazzega’s direction, he enjoyed extraordinary creative freedom. He explored vetro in piastra, opaline, pulegoso, and layered glass, developing the poetic, diaphanous lighting effects that became his signature.

Unlike many designers, Nason oversaw the entire production process – from drawings to kiln work and metal fittings – ensuring absolute precision. These years produced numerous icons of Italian design, today regarded as cornerstones of Mazzega’s history.

Collaboration with Kalmar

In the early 1970s, AV Mazzega introduced Nason to Kalmar Franken KG in Vienna. Kalmar, with its tradition of working closely with architects, was then expanding into modern glass lighting. Nason’s minimalist and modular approach proved an ideal match.

For Kalmar he designed systems such as RS-System,  Meander and Mare, conceived for both domestic interiors and large-scale architecture. Even more enduring were his decorative series – the famous Tulipan, Citrus, Granada, Sierra, Pagode and Stein collections. Produced with Murano glass and Kalmar’s metal craftsmanship, these ranges became commercial successes across Europe, cementing Kalmar’s reputation in international lighting design.

Other collaborations

Beyond AV Mazzega and Kalmar, Nason designed for Vistosi, De Majo, Leucos, Alt Lucialternative, Gallery Vetri d’Arte, Murano Due, Selenova, Linea GB, IVL, and Gruppo Firme di Vetro, among others. With Lumenform, he created the famous Sona pendant lamp (1970), later reissued by ITre, for which he also designed the popular Opera lamp in the 1990s. For Murano Due, his creations included Bolero, Contessa, Chimera, and Ghost, later entering the Leucos catalogue. At de Majo, he developed the Boccioni vases and the Bilbao lamp, proving his ability to work with materials beyond glass.

His versatility extended beyond lighting: he designed ceramics for Baldelli, ski boots for Garmont, perfume flacons for fashion designers, and served as lighting consultant for Casinos Austria International in Vienna.

Photography and exhibitions

Equally passionate about photography, Nason won numerous competitions during the 1960s and 70s. His images, often commissioned for Murano catalogues, reflected the same modern sensibility as his lamp designs.

In 2015, on his 80th birthday, the Triennale di Milano dedicated a solo exhibition to his work, recognizing him as one of Murano’s most important postwar designers. His creations are held in major museum collections, including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, the Triennale Design Museum in Milan, and the Corning Museum of Glass in New York, which owns an extensive collection of his work.

Legacy

Carlo Nason has always been a discreet figure, avoiding the spotlight, yet his designs have reached a wide audience—from museum halls to television screens in the 1980s. His career represents the very best of Italian lighting design: rooted in Murano’s heritage yet always open to innovation, modernity, and international collaboration.