21st century mosaics
- Pamela creates design object covered with mosaics
- In her works, she combines ancient technique and contemporary style
- Reflective and glossy materials are her signature
When she was a child, Pamela Canestrini used to love jigsaw puzzles. She was studying Conservation of Cultural Heritage at university when, almost by chance, she walked into the mosaic workshop of the faculty one day. There, what impressed her most was the light. “It was everywhere, even though we were in a closed place,” she recalls. “It was reflected by the shiny tesseras, the small coloured tiles used for mosaics.” From then, mosaic making became her passion, as well as her subject of study at the Albe Steiner School in Ravenna. Nowadays, reflecting materials like glazes, mirrors, stained glasses and murrina are Pamela's favourites, the signature of her art pieces and design objects.
Interview
- Would you define your works as traditional?
- Quite the opposite. Even though the handmade technique I use is traditional, from cutting and laying of tiles to polishing and grouting, I try to be as innovative as possible in design, materials and subjects. My aim is turn an ancient art into something contemporary.
- What is the main quality of a professional mosaicist?
- Definitely patience! The making of a mosaic takes a lot of time, from making the sketch to choosing the right material, cutting the tesseras, preparing the support and so on. Once, I coated a small elephant with 5-millimetre glass tiles and it took me one month to complete it.
- Could your craft be considered in danger?
- It could be. Mosaic is synonym with adding – you add colour, material, decoration, and the tendency, nowadays, is quite the opposite, for the sake of minimalism. That is why all my efforts go to lighten my works as much as possible, both in style and material weight.
- How do you “lighten” a mosaic?
- I have several ways. For instance, I experiment with supports. I have coated almost every material, even plastic, styrofoam and banana wood, as well as different objects, from safety shoes to small decorative animals. Colours are key, too. I like to combine glossy and matte for a contrasting effect.
Pamela Canestrini is a master artisan: she began her career in 2005 and she started teaching in 2005
Works
Where
Pamela Canestrini
