Luisa Conventi

Beadworker

©Susanna Pozzoli2024

Beadwork now and forever

Luisa is upholding a family tradition
She defends a venerable craft which is part of the Venetian social fabric
She has created a mini-museum in her workshop, dedicated to showcasing beads

Luisa Conventi is a bead maker and threader who strings together glass beads to make unique creations. In her family, this now exceedingly rare craft has been passed down for generations. There are no schools teaching beadwork anymore, yet it has made history in Venice. In 1987, Luisa opened her shop and worked intensively as a wholesaler exporting to Japan, Europe and America. After the Coronavirus pandemic she transformed her business into a miniature museum. She invests a considerable amount of energy in raising the profile of this profession with deep historical and cultural roots in the area. She also aims to secure the future of beadwork not only immaterially, through memory, but also in practical terms by attempting to introduce the subject in art institutes and universities.

Interview

©Susanna Pozzoli2024

©Susanna Pozzoli2024

What are you most passionate about in your work?: Feeling amazed at all the new things I can still achieve after almost 40 years at my craft. Beads and colours are a never-ending source of creativity. You can do anything with beads. There is a magical world around them, which I love to tell people about and protect.
Why have Murano glass beads become so valuable?: There are no longer any firms left in Murano that make small beads by cutting glass rods. When several firms closed, I salvaged the material leftover in warehouses. I have enough for the coming decades, and I treasure it.
What sets Murano glass beads apart?: In Murano, the rods are hand-pulled and the colours are experimental. The appeal of Venetian beads comes from their irregularities and countless different shades.
What would you recommend to those who wish to go into your line of work?: I would say to see it as an artistic profession full of potential, because it is more than just a craft. By opening up to the world, it is possible to work with major fashion houses and furnishing designers, among others.

Luisa Conventi is an expert artisan: she began her career in 1987