A master of ceramics
- Robi's work was focused on recycling waste in the 80s
- He has also worked with paper and wood
- He moved from Milan to Nove 15 years ago
When Robi Renzi was a child, he loved the moments spent with his parents “making something” together. He felt really happy, for example, making the crib at Christmas time, or devoting himself to caring for the garden with his mother and his father. After graduating in Architecture, he left Florence and moved to Milan to start his career in the design world. Here Robi and Roberto Reale collaborated successfully from the mid 90s until the early 2000s: at the beginning, their work was focused on recycling waste, which was their "starting point", as Robi puts it. After some years, globalisation completely changed the scene, making living and working in Milan too difficult for him, so he moved to Nove, a small village in the Veneto region, and for the last 15 years he has dedicated himself to ceramics.
Interview
- Did you learn from a master?
- No, I’m a self-taught artisan and never went to a ceramics school. But Federico Bonaldi, among the most significant ceramic sculptor, has been my point of reference in this field. At some point I asked him to give me pottery lessons.
- Why did you choose this craft?
- Because ceramics are quite easy to produce, but the object takes a long time to be final. The world where we live is always in a rush, but ceramic forces you to slow down and appreciate each step.
- How is your craft linked to your region?
- Nove, the village where I live, has a long tradition in ceramic art. Unfortunately, however, all the big companies have gone bankrupt or closed, not least because of the unfair competition from Eastern countries.
- What is a memorable moment in your career?
- My early years spent in Milan were legendary for me. At the time, it was so easy to launch collaborations and create new contacts and opportunities. And I was so young and eager to discover and learn.
Robi Renzi is an expert artisan: he began his career in 1990
Where
Robi Renzi
