
The miniature world of the Neapolitan crib
Marcello Aversa | Italy

HOMO FABER 2026 E-CATALOGUE
The heart of Homo Faber 2026 is this real craft studio in which master artisans working with porcelain, leather, paper, textiles and more demonstrate their skills and making processes to visitors, while restorers (present thanks to a partnership with World Monuments Fund, the Poldi Pezzoli Museum and Open Care – Servizi per l’Arte) showcase the techniques involved in bringing a work of art back to life. A rare chance to observe craft artists at work, ask questions, and discover each stage of the making process: the raw materials and tools scattered across the workbench, the smell of clay, leather or molten metal in the air, the sketches and half-finished objects on the walls and shelves, and the beauty that comes from it all. On display around the room, a rich selection of masterpieces – including a stunning planetarium – reveals the exquisite result of this coming together of creativity and craftsmanship. By placing the makers themselves at the heart of the experience in this way, An Island of Light brings visitors closer to craft, inspires the next generation of artisans and gives practitioners of different métiers d’art the chance to meet and connect.

The miniature world of the Neapolitan crib
Marcello Aversa | Italy

Bringing an 18th-century painting back to light
Open Care | Italy

Bringing intricate inlays back to light
Open Care | Italy

Revealing an 18th-century painting through restoration
Open Care | Italy

Sculpting lightness, feather by feather
Julien Vermeulen | France

Pietra dura: where stone becomes a second skin
Studio Lél | Pakistan

Painting stories on porcelain
Jayne King | USA

The art of reclaimed leather portraiture
Abongile Sidzumo | South Africa

Sculpting glass at miniature scale
Simone Crestani | Italy

The sustainable beauty of pressed flowers
Keith Kralik | USA

Sculpting stories in cameo
Fabio Ottaviano | Italy

The mastery of Barniz de Pasto
Gilberto & Óscar Granja | Colombia

Crafting miniature worlds from paper
Hannah Levesque | France

The sculptural language of leather
Elaine Chan-Perryman | Netherlands

From paper to produce: hyperreal fruits in the making
Abdelnasser Ibrahim | United Kingdom

Miniature paper cutting: reimagining Swiss tradition
Marc Schweizer | Switzerland

Micromosaic: painting with glass
Roberto Grieco | Italy

Bringing straw to life
Valérie Colas des Francs | France

Contemporary papermaking from reclaimed materials
Cartiera Manualis | Italy

Precious threads, intricate stitches
Laura Baverstock | United Kingdom

The discreet art of restoration
Yolaine Voltz | France

Building form in leather
Kuniko Maeda | United Kingdom

Murano glass beads in miniature
Muriel Balensi | Italy

The golden lines of damascening
Raquel De la Torre Serrano | Spain