Mario Moro

When everything is possible

• Mario Moro is a carpenter with an artist’s soul
• For him, woodwork is a craft but also a way of self-expression
• He combines traditional woodwork with ongoing experimentation

Mario Moro’s creations are the result of the synergy between his manual skills and his thoughtful mind. Through his work, Mario investigates wood as a living material – always different, always challenging, “almost a friend”, to use his own words. Like any other carpenter he works with clients on bespoke projects, mainly furniture pieces, while also pursuing a more solitary and conceptual side of the job – ongoing research into the expressive potential of wood and the unique combination of a living, natural material with the manual skills of man. Craftsmanship, for Mario, is not just a matter of making something well; he feels artisans should design their own creations, rather than simply executing others' ideas. They should express themselves through their creations, without boundaries and limitations, but with the firm conviction that “everything is possible, you just have to find the way to do it”.

Interview

©Chiara Bruno

©Chiara Bruno

Where does your love of wood come from?

My career started as a punishment – or maybe a form of education. I was a lively child, so my parents sent me to a workshop to learn a craft. The owner, an exceptionally skilled traditional carpenter, was severe, but his workshop was a place of respect and affection. He gave me my love for this craft.

What motivated your unconventional approach to the craft?

While working, I studied architecture at university, but I didn't find my own way there. On the contrary, the rigidity of the system drove me to explore new ways to express myself, trying at the same time to connect objects with their function in a more openminded way.

Why do you like experimentation?

First of all, artisans should not leave the design part to the architect, like many do. Also, I am open to different materials – ceramic, glass, steel – if this is reasonable function-wise. Last but not least, as a painter, I also love decoration – it opens a door to your soul.

Is there any project that represents the way you express yourself?

I like the meeting between nature and the artifice of man. For my project Ombra, I found a technique to print the shadow of an actual branch on MDF panels that I used to create simple furniture pieces. Why MDF? I came to a point where, as a real wood lover, I wanted to waste it as little as possible.

Mario Moro is a master artisan: he began his career in 1989 and he started teaching in 2010

Works

©Barbara Corsico

©Barbara Corsico

©Barbara Corsico

©Barbara Corsico

©Barbara Corsico

Where