Renato Bencivenga

Angolo del Duca

Frame maker

©Angolo del Duca

A steadfast passion for whimsical frames

Renato has been a frame maker since he was 14
He and his wife share the same love for art
He is constantly evolving his techniques and frame models

Renato Bencivenga began his working life at a very young age when he opened his own business in 1978, when he was only 14 years old. In his workshop located in the historical heart of Senigallia, a beautiful town in central Italy, this talented frame maker presents his multifaceted experience. He offers over a thousand models of frames in wood and other materials, created in various ancient and modern styles. “My craft is constantly evolving. During my research on aesthetics, I faced difficulties and mistakes that by chance gave rise to new solutions in the use of materials. For example, the idea for the decorative engravings on my passe-partouts came from the accidental fall of a cutter on coloured cardboard!” he recounts. A fervent aficionado of art, Renato also sells paintings, prints and mirrors in his workshop.

Interview

©Angolo del Duca

©Angolo del Duca

What is your educational background?: I am self-taught. The choice, in 1978, to dedicate myself to this craft arose from my familiarity with it, as the family business was cabinetmaking. I owe my knowledge to my father and to the artisan shops I frequented around Italy given my curiosity about frame making.
What inspires you to nourish your creativity?: My inspiration comes from everything around me. Thanks to my work, I am always in contact with beauty and art, so the impulse to constantly renew my work comes naturally. I pay particular attention to the frames embellishing the artworks in museums and to the furnishings I see in magazines and in my clients' homes.
Is there a specialty that makes your work particularly recognisable?: I would say it is the use of contrasting styles: on the one hand creating classic inserts in modern environments and, on the other, developing innovative aesthetic harmonies using materials and colours produced by me with pigments and ancient essences.
Can you tell us a memorable moment from your professional life?: Definitely the most important meeting of my life happened while I was working: in 1990, I met a very special client who later became my wife, Stefania. United by our same passion for art, we have shared life and work ever since. Stefania is now an unparalleled member of the family business.

Renato Bencivenga is an expert artisan: he began his career in 1978 and he started teaching in 2021