Fabio Bordi

Mosaic maker

A life-changing encounter

Fabio specialises in the micromosaic technique
He knew straight away that this was the craft for him
It takes six months to create a 50cm x 70cm mosaic panel

Sometimes destiny is simply written on a sign. This is what happened to Fabio Bordi, a young man of 27 who had a promising career in finance. One day in 2005, while he was strolling through the centre of Rome, he spotted a note in the window of a workshop. It said 'Mosaic courses held here'. Fabio knew nothing about mosaics, but nonetheless he decided to enrol in the course. “I grew up in the city centre and have admired art and beauty ever since I was a child," he says. Though he'd always wanted to go to art school, his parents had preferred him to pursue a more conventional career. So when he found the mosaic course, "It was an opportunity for me to explore the part of my being which had remained dormant. Little did I know it would change my entire existence.”

Interview

When did you know you would abandon your career in finance?: Right from the first lesson. When I saw Alessandro Lugari, who later became my master, clean the cement from his hands on his white overalls I understood that I wanted to be like him. After the first course I asked Alessandro and his business partner Lorenzo if I could stay on and work in the workshop with them.
You are now the boss. Do you train anyone yourself?: I have a fantastic apprentice, a 94-year-old woman who has been following my courses for many years. And then there’s my fiancée, who is my right-hand person. It takes a great deal of patience and at least five years to learn, starting from the basics, which means dividing the tesserae (tiles) by colour.
Restoration is also an important part of your work...: I have had the good fortune to work surrounded by the beauty of incredible places, from the Villa d’Este in Tivoli, where I followed the restoration of the Dolphin Fountain, to Villa Borghese, where I restored a big floor depicting a Minotaur. Without forgetting the Imperial Fora.
You like creating contemporary works too. What inspires you?: Everything that surrounds me. I like to work with other artists, especially if they come from different domains. I created several mosaics with Jbrock, for example, who is one of the most interesting street artists of his generation.

Fabio Bordi is a master artisan: he began his career in 2005 and he started teaching in 2010