Starting from what is left

At the beginning of a new year, while the world outside seems to be rushing frantically towards the next “new” thing at all costs, I felt the need to stop in my workshop and do the exact opposite.
I chose to stay.
But staying does not mean standing still.
It means looking at the past with a new eye: a critical eye, but never a nostalgic one.

Nostalgia is a melancholic veil; critical analysis, on the other hand, is a powerful tool.
It serves to sift through what has been, to discard the superfluous and to extrapolate the “best” — that spark of beauty and technique — to deliver it as inspiration for one’s future.

The power of tradition.
People often fear that the word ‘tradition’ is synonymous with old.
For me, and for those who look at my works, it is exactly the opposite.
History, the techniques of the masters and classical aesthetics are what instil confidence and stability.
In a world that changes too quickly, art rooted in tradition offers solid ground on which to rest one’s gaze.
It is a safe haven.

Two sides of the same coin.
However, tradition alone would risk becoming a dusty museum piece. That’s why, in my work, I combine it with two concepts that I consider essential: evolution and contamination.

I see tradition and innovation as two sides of the same coin:

Tradition gives us the alphabet and the security of form.
Evolution and contamination allow us to write new, contemporary words that are more suited to the times we live in.

Without the solid foundation of the past, evolution would be fragile; without the courage to contaminate ourselves with the present, tradition would be mute.