News
February 2024
Award, Ceramic
Extended at the request of many master artisans the deadline for application for the "Souvenir del Grand Tour" Award, which slips from 1st March to 22th March 2024.
February 2024
Italy, Apprenticeships, Ceramic, Luthiery
All the apprentices of "Una Scuola, un Lavoro. Percorsi di Eccellenza” – the historic Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d'Arte training internship project now in its 13th edition – are now at work! All over Italy, the photographer Peter Elovich, through his original shots, is collecting visual testimonies of the young protagonists at work, eager to "steal with their eyes and hands" the craft from their mentors and masters in this six-month apprenticeship.
February 2024
Florence, Fair, Silver, Ceramic, Restoration, Glass
On the occasion of a historic anniversary, registration opens to participate as an exhibitor in the Thirty-Year Anniversary of “Artigianato e Palazzo”, to be held Sept. 13-15, 2024, at the Corsini Garden in Florence. MAM Award for the Supporters of craftsmanship, “Artigianato e Palazzo, botteghe artigiane e loro committenze” has been receiving the patronage of Fondazione Cologni for years.
February 2024
Milano, Rome, Venice, event, Ceramic
Among the many concrete actions that the Starhotels hotel group has activated in support of Italian high craftsmanship, a rich carnet of "Craft Experiences" has been created to be experienced in some of the most important artisan atelier in Venice, Milan, Florence and Rome.
January 2024
Milan, Award
Now in its third edition, the biennial La Grande Bellezza by Starhotels Award invites Italian master artisans to apply by submitting works on the theme “Souvenirs del Grand Tour”: a subject of great interest and fascination, that of the signature object-souvenir.
January 2024
Venice, Homofaber
Established in 2018, the Young Ambassador program is developed by the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship and facilitated through a partnership with the Giorgio Cini Foundation

Interviews
Verona, Master, Fashion, Textile

The Fashion Week has just ended: people often forget the creation of a great dress or accessory is not only the work of the designer or the stylist, but also the skilful hands of craftspeople who know how to transform the project into a magnificent object.
This is exactly what Anna Tosi, does: she is the third generation of Pagliani & Brasseur, a historic family-run artisan company specialising in the creation of fabric flowers and animals, refined and imaginative accessories made entirely by hand, which over the years have seen numerous and varied applications in fashion and interior design.
Over time, the company has grown enormously, collaborating with major fashion houses such as Dolce & Gabbana, Valentino, Christian Dior, Gucci, Giorgio Armani and many others.
In 2020 Anna Tosi was awarded the MAM - Maestro d'Arte e Mestiere (Master of Arts and Crafts) accolade, recognised by the Cologni Foundation for the Métiers d’Art.

Aosta, Master, Sculpture, Wood

Andrea Celestino is a skilled sculptor and woodcarver. Born in Aosta in 1993, he became passionate about woodworking as a child, watching his grandfather carving and sculpting in his garage in Valle d'Aosta. He thus discovered that he had a strong propensity for art and craftsmanship, great manual skills and a talent for sculpture. He then attended a “bottega-scuola” (a workshop whose skilled owner also teaches the craft to younger artisans) in his region, and continued his training in Ortisei, in Val Gardena, the home of wooden sculpture. Today, in his workshop in Saint-Pierre, he creates works of art and sculptures with a contemporary style: his female figures exude serenity, grace and freedom, but at the same time a powerful and vibrant energy. The creative process starts from a careful search for harmony in lines and shapes, which depends also on the type of wood he uses, while the inspiration comes from nature, and its shapes and colours.

Grottaglie, Master, Ceramic

Enza Fasano's workshop is the true spearhead of Grottaglie ceramic art. The master in fact grew up among terracottas, and having practiced this art all her life has allowed her to develop a refined and recognizable taste. Today, in her historic atelier, she creates artefacts inspired by local tradition, but also reinvented with originality and enriched by shapes and chromatic plays; pieces that know how to surprise, the result of years in the workshop, family school and improvement, and suitable to satisfy a cosmopolitan and demanding clientele. The large showroom presents hundreds of objects of great beauty: from the typical Apulian tradition to the more functional elements for the table and for the home. In 2020, Enza Fasano gained the title “MAM – Master of Art and Craft”, bestowed by the Cologni Foundation.

Pordenone, Master, Mosaic

Friul Mosaic is a family-run craft company of artistic mosaics, founded by William Bertoia in 1987.
The atelier draws on an important tradition, with an eye towards contemporary design: starting from the concept, for which innovative motifs and original compositions are sought, each mosaic is made by hand, tile after tile, respecting the traditional techniques. Wall mosaic decorations, floor coverings, artistic and architectural solutions are all rigorously made to measure, with mastery, rigor and accuracy, without forgetting creativity and innovation. In fact, alongside classic motifs, original and modern textures are proposed, inspired by nature, works of art and myth, but also by modern mosaic as an interior design element. In 2020, William Bertoia gained the “MAM – Master of Art and Crafts” title, bestowed by the Cologni Foundation.

Milan, Master, Decoration

PictaLab is an interior decoration workshop created in Milan over fifteen years. It was founded in 2007 by Orsola Clerici, in collaboration with Chiara Troglio. In this elegant atelier, hand-painted wallpaper and wall decorations are created, with many different techniques: from fresco to trompe l'oeil, from coating to lacquering. Here, skilled craftspeople masterfully carry out each project, which always arises from a direct confrontation with the clients to understand their needs and expectations, and take care of the execution, rigorously made-to-measure. Every creation always takes into account the architectural space and the context in which the idea is shaped, to offer creative and personalized solutions. In addition to wall decorations, the workshop also offers a customization service for furniture and interior design objects. Orsola Clerici, co-owner and co-founder of the studio, obtained in 2020 the title "MAM – Maestro d’Arte e Mestiere" by Cologni Foundation for the Métiers d’Art.

Milan, Master, Jewelry

The atelier Ornella Bijoux was founded in Milan in 1944 by Piera Barni. A historic business with an incredible story, bridged into present days thanks to the talent and determination of Simona Scala, the third generation at the helm of the business. They create jewels with a vintage flavor, ofetn inspired by Art Nouveau, but also with a more contemporary taste, made up of original compositions of metals and Venetian stones, hand-painted ceramics and crystals, pearls and shells, as well as enamels, ropes, leather and feathers, mixed with freedom, harmony and originality. An all-female enterprise, where know-how and craftsmanship have been handed down from mother to daughter for almost 80 years now.


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