Roberta Verteramo

Metal sculptor

©Roberta Verteramo

Where art meets design

Roberta uses old crafting techniques to create modern luxury
Her work as an art designer is well-known internationally.
She believes in working materials to their highest potential

Roberta Verteramo’s background is both artistic and international: she studied in Turin, Valencia, and Amsterdam, focusing on restoration, conservation and plastic materials. Eventually she established herself as a conservator of contemporary art, with a position at the Triennale Museum in Milan which gave her the opportunity to meet and collaborate with internationally known artists and designers. It was Gaetano Pesce who inspired her to transition from conservation to making, pushing her to experiment with materials and introducing her to the still mostly unknown discipline of Art Design. Today she uses ancient crafting techniques to create ultra-contemporary designs graced by the sense of timelessness of a luxury object.

Interview

©Roberta Verteramo

©Roberta Verteramo

How would you describe what you do?: I am an artist, in the sense that I am a maker and not just a designer. However, my work falls under the definition of Art Design, which is basically a combination of the functionality of design products and the aesthetic and creative value of art.
How did your past work experiences influence your current work?: In London I worked for a company that did luxury surfaces for major brands: there I learned the rules of luxury design. They educated me to understand what makes a luxury product, the materials to use and the target to focus on. I made that sensibility my own.
Which specific techniques do you master?: I mostly work with marble, bronze and glass. I believe in working materials from their raw form to their highest potential, combining harmony and proportion with a superior level of manufacture, blending surfaces and bringing materials to their finest expression.
How is your craft linked to your home region?: Italy provides me with the best materials to work with, and Turin specifically offers a network of artisans that I can collaborate with – people I have known for a long time, who are open to risk and experimentation: this kind of approach is rare to find.

Roberta Verteramo is an expert artisan: she began her career in 2005