Walter Furlan was born in 1931 in Chioggia, a small town in the southern part of the lagoon of Venice.

At an early age he goes to work in the V.A.M.S.A. glassworks, where he was apprenticed to Romano Tosi, a master-craftsman, better-known as "Mamaracio".

At the end of the Second World War, 1940-1945 Furlan goes to work in the glassworks of Gino Cenedese where he assists Alfredo Barbini and all the old craftsmen of the former V.A.M.S.A., amongst them "Mamaracio" and Gino Forte known as "Petà".

At the Gino Cenedese glassworks, Furlan learns the technique of sculpting glass "a massello", which was later his favourite method.

After working on the production of Venetian candelabras, Furlan joins Albino Carrara (also from the V.A.M.S.A factory) at the Ferro & Lazzarini, where Maestro Ineo Fuga, specialist in making Antique Venetian candelabras, is working. Walter Furlan learns from him how to make almost all the models of the famous Venetian candelabras. Later Furlan succeeds Ineo Fuga in the candelabra department of the Ferro and Lazzarini glassworks.
Having become a master-craftsman while still young, Furlan has contacts with artists, and meets Fulvio Bianconi .
At the Ferro & Lazzarini factory, Furlan begins to collaborate with professor Ezio Rizzetto, and their mutual understanding produced artistic works which were exhibited at the early shows at Bevilacqua La Masa. Maestro Furlan has the opportunity to participate in other exhibitions with works of his own creation, obtaining recognition as a Designer.

In 1963 his work is shown at the Murano Glass Exhibition, organised by the Istituto Veneto per il Lavoro: he also participates in the Crafts Exhibition in Reggio Calabria.

In the early 70s, Furlan joins the Seguso Vetri d'Arte glassworks, under the guide of Maestro Angelo Seguso and the Designer Mario Pinsoni, and learns the techniques of "submerged" glass and stylised forms, typical of the designs of professor Favio Poli who was then working for the Seguso Vetri d'Arte, becoming his most reliable interpreter.n 1977 he joins the "first course for artists" organised by the International Glass School, and on this occasion, carries out works by the artists Horst Sobota, Renzo Margonari, and Ghibbe giving proof of his great capacity for interpreting artistic design.

Later, Maestro Furlan participates in the Premio Murano, an event organised by the Abate Zanetti Association; on this occasion he carries out works for Verdiano Marzi, Andrea Pagnacco, Marconi and Laura Santoro. More recently he has carried out works for Lindstrom, Alinari, Barattini, Wagner and Jef Van Reniaout.
At present most of his work is inspired by the fascinating artistic progress of the work of Picasso, expressing in his glass sculptures all the experience acquired during his periods of work with oldmasters.
Walter passed away in 2018.