Omar Barbero

Cabinetmaker

©Chiara Bruno Phôs Graphè

The pursuit of freedom

Omar’s carpentry is conceptual and organic
For him the choice of wood comes first
His style is contemporary and primordial

A few kilometres from Turin, in his workshop in Torre Pellice, Omar Barbero makes unconventional wooden furniture and home furnishings. Deeply inspired by nature, especially by the forests of the nearby Piedmontese valleys, he creates unique pieces, such as cabinets, cupboards, tables, consoles, kitchens. To create his original products, he combines architectural projects with a poetic approach, through an experimental attitude. The result is an imaginative style, both contemporary and primordial. “My carpentry is conceptual and organic”, he says. “I am a freethinker, working with the freest matter, wood”. While the connection with the environment is crucial, every creation has an independent identity.

Interview

©Chiara Bruno Phôs Graphè

©Chiara Bruno Phôs Graphè

How did you become a woodworker?: I trained at high school in carpentry, woodcarving, marquetry, and restoration. But I didn’t want to become a cabinetmaker. I loved to draw. Then from my father, a restorer of ancient furniture, I learned that it was possible to do many things with wood.
Did you learn to appreciate ancient woods?: Yes, from restoration I learned that wood species change with time, modifying colour and appearance. Being organic and alive, old wood is somehow flawed and when reworked for a new, different purpose it is really precious.
What is challenging in your work?: The challenge is crafting something that keeps its quality through the years and communicates its beauty across generations. Also, making myself understood can be difficult: conveying the research behind my pieces, a philosophy which is a way of life.
What is your specialty?: More than a technical skill, I’d say it’s the choice of wood. My approach is a sort of dialogue with the different wood species. Craft is essential of course, but it’s put at the service of a vision, which requires the slowness of non-consumerist times.

Omar Barbero is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2003