Licorice is a series of vases inspired by the sweet candy of our youth

These vases draw a parallel between industrial caramel production and manual glass-shaping techniques. Both materials begin as elastic and viscous before setting into a rigid and brittle form. 

The creation of Licorice vases requires the involvement of at least four artisans, whose synchronized movements orchestrate a cyclical dance. The pieces, blown into a mold made of metal rods, first take on a regular cylindrical shape before undergoing various manual transformation processes — pinching, twisting, and cutting — allowing for a wide variety of forms and sizes.

The diversity of silhouettes, combining opaque black glass with vibrant interior hues, evokes an assortment of licorice candies. These limited editions are as exceptional as they are unique, due to the rarity of black glass and the technical complexity of assembling the different tones.

"Anyone who visits Mexico will notice how deeply the country nurtures its heritage in craftsmanship"

Nouvel not only embraces this tradition but also showcases Mexico’s tremendous industrial capabilities. What sets Nouvel apart as a luxury glass brand is its ability to meet high-end commercial demands while simultaneously exploring the full spectrum of glass’s artistic expression through innovative collaborations with designers and artists.

Meeting Nouvel’s team and discovering its glass workshop was a remarkable opportunity and a truly enriching experience. Early in our discussions, it quickly became clear that we shared a vision. We wanted to shape a project that told a meaningful story of glass, through glass itself. From the start, our intuition pushed us toward allowing the material as much freedom as possible. This is how the connection with licorice came to be. Inspired by candies, a material that shares unexpected similarities with glass, we sought to preserve the elasticity of glass and explore its flexibility in a handcrafted object. The result is a collection of limited-edition vases, first blown into a linear mold and then manually deformed, pinched, twisted, and stretched by Nouvel’s master artisans. 

"This process gives each piece its unique and organic quality." 

- Dimitri Nassisi