Walter Bellini

Cabinetmaker

The beauty of nature

Walter creates unique wood pieces by hand
He grew up in the Appenines mountains, Italy
He uses a rare white ebony from Laos

After 25 years of working in finance Walter Bellini felt the need to make a drastic career change and create with his hands. He trained for two years at the Boulle school where he learned cabinetmaking and marquetry, and subsequently specialised in the creation of boxes. The choice was not as surprising as it may seem, as his grandfather was a carpenter, and Walter spent his childhood in Italy surrounded by woodworking – it was more of a return to a familiar atmosphere. Soon after his training he set up his workshop in Asnières-sur-seine, where he designs and produces boxes and office ornaments, using precious wood and rare materials. Walter Bellini uses wood with unique veins that allows him to highlight some of the most intricate and beautiful aspects of nature in his creations.

Interview

Why did you choose this career?: For the freedom to create, and the ability to interact with customers and offer them pieces that evoke an emotion. I can use raw material from the same tree to make creations for a couple or friends, forming an invisible but very strong bond.
How would you describe your relationship with your tools?: Using a planer is a mixture of sensuality and austerity. The sensuality of the noise, the sight of the curling chip, and the smell of certain wood species. The austerity comes from the sharpening and the precision required for of the dimensions.
Which wood do you specialise in?: I work primarily with ebony, especially white ebony from Laos. This wood is characterised by an off-white background crossed by deep black veining, which gives a very particular graphic image. Each piece of wood is unique, which makes each creation unique.
How do you define what you do?: The common thread in my work is my desire to showcase the best of nature. I seek to create an emotion, either by the evocation of landscapes or in a more abstract way by the graphic composition of a piece in search of balance and harmony.

Walter Bellini is a master artisan: he began his career in 2009 and he started teaching in 2016