Cabutti-page

  • Marcela Cabutti (La Plata, 1967)

    “In my work, I chose the materials carefully, in order to reinforce a certain meaning. To achieve that, I need to experiment and invent freely”.


    She graduated in 1994 from La Plata National University School of Fine Arts with degrees in Sculpture and Art History. In 1995 she was given a grant by the Antorchas Foundation to participate in a workshop run by the artist Luis F. Benedit and Pablo Suárez in which she created sculpture, objects, and installations. The foundation also supported Cabutti’s study in 1998 of design and bionics at the European Institute of Design in Milan, Italy.

    Nature is a recurring subject in Cabutti´s work. She has found inspiration in insects, flowers and birds, but also atmospheric phenomena such as clear skies, clouds and rain. The latter one in particular comes from various sources, from scientific studies to Japanese literature.

    Marcela began drawing raindrops as monochromatic compositions of organic shapes in ink or acrylic paint, but soon moved on to make them out of blown glass, a traditional technique she had studied thoroughly, first with the artist Pino Signoretto in Murano (Venice, Italy), and later in the Columbus College of Art and Design (Ohio, USA).

    The material quality of glass -that she used both transparent and coloured- evokes not only the reflective appearance of water, but also personal childhood memories of her grandfather´s mirrored cupboard. In her collaboration with Lalana, these cold glass shapes turn soft and warm when re-interpreted in textile form. It is now a sheltering rain, one you can step on without getting wet.