Mauro Mori

Multimedia sculptor

©Stefano Zarpellon

©Gian Paolo Barbieri

©Mauro Mori Studio

Speaking through his hands

Mauro uses only natural materials for his sculptural creations
His first passion was wood, but he loves working with metal and marble, too
He enjoys developing his own techniques as he works

Now a renowned creator of art furniture and sculptures, Mauro Mori spent his early twenties travelling to faraway lands, in a quest to discover the world and himself. When he eventually landed in the Seychelles, he found the answers to all his questions. “A friend was building his house there, and since I always enjoyed working with my hands, I crafted the windows for him in what evolved into my signature style." This life-changing experience brought him to Milan, where he started to create sensuous sculptural wooden pieces with an exotic zest. His work soon attracted the attention of furniture guru and talent finder Giulio Cappellini, with whom Mauro collaborated for ten years. Today, Mauro continues to develop his personal vision in one-off-pieces and international commission projects.

Interview

©Joe Kramm

©Mauro Mori Studio

When did you start using marble and metal?: While searching for innovate solutions in wood, I began to experiment with various types of marble, which I carve from solid blocks, and different metals, which are worked in plate form or cast, and are then finished with experimental oxydations and patinas.
How would you describe the way you work?: I like to call it 'a natural approach'. My philosophy is based on five pillars: craftsmanship, three-dimensionality, the use of natural materials, the involvement of all five senses and, last but by all means not least, simplicity.
In what way are all five senses involved?: A handmade work is always charged with emotions. When you interact with an object, you can perceive its meaning with all your senses, because besides being looked at, it can also be touched, smelled, sometimes even heard and tasted.
What aspect of your work do you find most exciting?: While I work, I stop thinking about the past and the future: I am deeply immersed in the present, in the here and now. Shaping and giving form to materials with my hands, searching for their simplicity and elegance, gives me a strong sense of fulfillment.

Mauro Mori is an expert artisan: he began his career in 1994