Massimiliano Guerrisi

Multimedia sculptor

©Massimiliano Guerrisi

The transformative power of sculpture

Massimiliano is a self-taught sculptor
He works on classical myth across a variety of materials from wood to crystals
For him sacred geometry is very important when shaping human figure sculptures

A globetrotter by vocation, Massimiliano Guerrisi lived many lives in the name of continuous transformation. Born in Florence, initially a film operator, he lived in Argentina, Brazil and then Australia. For 10 years he had a fruit tree farm there that was completely destroyed by the fires of 2019. Sculpture came as the healing therapy that saved him after losing everything. Self-taught and intuitive, Massimiliano's technique is atypical, and personal. Back in Florence, he opened his sculptor’s atelier in Santo Spirito, where he works with different materials, mediating between the themes of the past, such as the great classical myths, and modernity. “Our responsibility is to go beyond what has been handed down to us,” he says.

Interview

©Massimiliano Guerrisi

©Massimiliano Guerrisi

What is a source of inspiration for you?: My aim is to inspire those who see my work: there must be a before and an after. I want to arouse interest in the proportions, in the grace of the piece. Sacred geometry is very important to me, from the Fibonacci sequence, to the golden ratio. I start by drawing a spiral, then the choice of the subject is instinctive. Anything can be a stimulus for me while I create.
What role do the different places where you have lived play?: When I work with wood, inspiration comes above all from nature, and the influence of Australia is strong. Florence represents classical culture, Renaissance, Baroque. Here, all it takes is a bike ride to get inspired.
What is your favourite material?: Wood. It is a soft, malleable yet rigid material, which gives great elegance to each finished piece. It is a warm material, so much part of human culture everywhere, that everyone feels it. I find that visitors from all over the world who enter my atelier instinctively touch the wooden pieces, without awe.
What makes your works recognisable?: The use of rock crystals in my pieces is a sort of signature. More generally, I would say the blend between holistic and mythological is typical of my work. I try to bring forward the classical, to arouse the mirroring between the viewer and the piece, to promote inner growth and self-awareness that unlock the true potential we each have inside.

Massimiliano Guerrisi is a rising star: he began his career in 2020 and he started teaching in 2023