Rocco Borghese – The Neon Years

When Rocco Borghese arrived in London in his twenties, he brought with him a long tradition of Italian craftsmanship. His family’s foundry, Borghese Glass, established in 1824, was known for creating chandeliers and crystal lighting for churches, villas and grand residences across Italy. The Borghese name had become a mark of quality, creativity and dedication to craft.

Rocco’s father, a master glassblower, introduced him to the world of molten glass at a young age. Growing up in the workshop surrounded by furnaces and tools, Rocco learned the patience, precision and love for beauty that define true Italian glassmaking. In London he discovered a new language of light: neon. Its fluid movement and response to heat reminded him of Murano glass, but its electric pulse offered something completely different – energy, rhythm and motion.

Working from a small studio, Rocco spent years experimenting with how light and gas could interact inside glass. Through persistence and curiosity, he achieved what no one had done before: he made light move from within the glass itself. Each piece seemed alive, glowing and breathing with colour.

His work quickly drew attention from artists, designers and collectors who were fascinated by the emotion and movement in his creations. Every piece was formed by hand, the colours mixed by instinct and experience.

It was this balance of artistry and technical skill that earned him recognition as one of the leading neon glassblowers of his generation.

Over time his path led him back to his origins, creating sculptural chandeliers inspired by Murano. Here he found the perfect harmony between innovation and tradition, uniting the craftsmanship of his family with his own modern vision of light.

The Art of Light

After years surrounded by the energy of neon, Rocco’s work began to evolve into something more sculptural and lasting. His fascination with movement and light found a new form through glass and metal, bringing together his early experiments with the classical art of chandelier design.
In the early 1990s, he began creating the pieces that would define his style – sculptural chandeliers that balanced artistic freedom with technical precision. The first of these, a flowing composition of glass and metal, marked a turning point in his career. It was shown at major design events including Euro Luce in Milan and Grand Designs Live in London, where it
was praised for its originality and craftsmanship.
As interest in his work grew, Rocco opened his first London showroom in Crouch End, a creative neighbourhood filled with artists and designers. Here he returned to his roots,
developing a new approach to chandelier design that blended the elegance of Murano glassmaking with a more modern, expressive style.
He also set up a glassblowing school within the studio, sharing his knowledge and inspiring a new generation of glass artists. The workshop became a recognised hub for experimentation
and helped shape the direction of modern glass art in London. This was where Rocco’s vision truly came together – the meeting of Italian artistry and British
innovation. Many of the pieces created in that studio are still produced today, each one hand-formed and completely unique.
More than thirty years later, those early works remain some of his most admired creations:timeless, expressive, and unmistakably his. Each chandelier carries the same spark of energy
that first inspired him to shape light into art.