Attilio Balduzzi

Woodcarver | Podenzano, Italy

Answering the call to woodcarving

Attilio is one of the last woodcarvers in Piacenza
He turned his life's passion into his livelihood
He compares the creative process to pregnancy

Attilio Balduzzi’s interest for woodcarving started when he was a child, from observing a local craftsman at work. As a boy, Attilio attended a three-year course at a renowned school in Meda (nowadays the Giuseppe Terragni Institute): “I have wonderful memories of two great masters, Fiorino Dentoni and Luigi Busnelli, authentic sources of inspiration I return to every time I start a new piece,” he says. After working for some local carpenters, in 1990 Attilio could open his own workshop in Podenzano, where he creates very refined pieces, following both the great tradition of historical styles and his own creative freedom.

Interview

©Attilio Balduzzi

How did you choose this craft?: I felt a sort of call to art in general and to wood in particular. I could not detach myself from the chisels, my ideal was to be carving 12 hours a day. I followed my instincts and at the age of 17, once I had finished school, I immediately began to work at a local carpentry shop.
What is a key moment in your professional life?: The best moments are when a customer behaves as a patron, giving the artisan an idea, or some inputs, to create a new piece, but setting the artist totally free to express himself. That’s what happened, for example, with the commission of a Louis XV bureau.
How do you merge tradition and innovation in your work?: I am considered one of the last woodcarvers in the Piacenza area. In my works I try to recover the links to my land, by using local wood and reviving techniques and imagery of past centuries. I also try to apply my own style with innovations.
What do you love most about your craft?: It brings to life magical moments: at first an idea is dancing in my head, then I sketch it down on paper – and it is never as I thought. Finally I take a piece of wood into my hands and the vision becomes real. The whole process is like a pregnancy.

Attilio Balduzzi is an expert artisan: he began his career in 1990