If the opulent King Louis XIV of France reigned today, he would unquestionably have commissioned Lillian Gorbachincky to design his Palace of Versailles. The Sun King’s famous Hall of Mirrors would shine with Gorbachincky’s contemporary mastery of gilded mirrors with verre eglomise and fusions glass and metal that convert space into a work of art.
Since 2006, Gorbachincky’s company, Cosmopolitan Glass & Metal, has established itself as the premier source for artistic and architectural glass and metalwork for today’s royal elite: brands including Tiffany & CO., Graff Diamonds, Christian Dior, and Chanel; AD100 Designers and architects such as Peter Marino, Stephen Sills, Jamie Drake, Fox-Nahem; and the private nobility of the Upper East Side–all of whom, like Louis, seek the finest designs craftsmanship in glass and metalwork.
Applying increasingly complex techniques, Lillian is expanding her business today with her new gallery at the venerable A&D building in Manhattan. “Art, Kitchens and Interiors by Lillian Gorbachincky” showcases her namesake’s line of bespoke furniture and artwork for both commercial and residential projects. Clients come to discover a showroom that feels like an enchanted treasure cove: stained, marbleized and carved glass contrasts to an array of monumental furniture pieces such as chairs, dining tables, consoles, and art installations.
While Gorbachincky takes inspiration from nature, she also constantly challenges it, and her works that address the dichotomy between natural and manmade evidently stem from her background. Born in the east of Russia, Gorbachincky was privy to the natural wonders of Kamchatka’s violent volcanoes, a memory that surfaces, quite literally, in her work—where explosive fusions of golds and glass resemble an exquisite aftermath of what would be the world’s most glamorous volcanic crescendo. Her creative process is further enhanced by her background as a classically trained singer: “My connection to music is not just auditory or vocal, but uniquely visual,” she explains. “The act of singing while I sculpt or sketch becomes a synesthetic experience, and a portal through which I can access new ideas and bring them to life.”
The daughter of the lead ballerina at the State Ballet in Armenia, Lillian was always privy to human expression, and her parent’s gatherings of artists at home inspired her constantly. “At four I was mixing oils creating paintings inspired by Ayvazovsky, the great Russian marine painter who captured the sea in exquisite blues and aqua tones. These very colors surface constantly in my work today.” Indeed, the famous Tiffany & Co. blue would wind up coloring her portfolio. After her first milestone project with the iconic jeweler for their boutique at Printemps in Paris in 2007, she then worked on over forty Tiffany & Co. stores worldwide. In 2013, she collaborated with the brand’s Creative Director to create whimsical window installations inspired by The Great Gatsby, which today are preserved in the Tiffany & Co. archive.
While her artistry continues to define the facades of the world’s top luxury brands, it is increasingly coveted for interior, residential spaces: a glass fountain wall for a prominent collector glistens uptown, and her famous “million-dollar kitchen,” awarded Best in Show: Furniture by the ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) in 2019, is now on view in her gallery.
Through nature and artifice, imagination and technology, Gorbachincky continues to sparkle while carving a regal name for herself in the space between art and design. Gorbachincky works and lives in New York with her husband and their four young children, who she notes, are her most impressive creations.
www.cosmopolitanglassandmetal.com
