Stefano Puzzuoli

Estebanland

Woodcarver | Calci, Italy

Recommended by

Michelangelo Foundation

Objects from within and without

Stefano sculpts vases from salvaged wood collected locally
He has a very intuitive approach to carving and sculpting
He is self-taught in his craft and opened his workshop in 2021

Stefano Puzzuoli is a former engineer and a professional photographer, with an artistic soul that has led him to venture into dance, music, and wood carving. In the secluded days of the pandemic, he had the opportunity to hone his sculpting skills – study and practise, learn from mistakes and observation. During this time, the maker was born. "I developed my aesthetic in the form of sculptural wood vases, all made from salvaged wood," says Stefano. He was encouraged to pursue his craft by the appreciation of his work, and set up his workshop at his home in the spring of 2021. Surrounded by nature in the Tuscan hills where he lives, Stefano rigorously handpicks all the wood he works with from the forests local to him. As he carves and transforms, he welcomes the imperfections, colours and shapes of the wood varieties.

Interview

What would you say inspires you?: I find a lot of inspiration in the work of ceramicists who enjoy a great deal of freedom thanks to the material they shape. My eclectic background of dance, music, film, travels and the contact with nature have influenced me, often without me even realising it.
What do you love most about your craft?: Unpredictability. When I start sculpting a new vase, who knows what the outcome will be. I do start with an idea, but the challenge is in the making, the surprises the wood will reveal and the freedom of changing my mind while sculpting.
How would you define your work?: I think of it as a sort of alchemy, defined by the energy of transformation and expression. It is also mysterious and poetic, carving chip after chip, a combination of fatigue and the expectation of being able to give a second life to a material otherwise likely discarded.
What was your first work?: From day one I have always sculpted vases, clumsy at the beginning but still functional. I am very attached to my first commission, a sculpture made from the wood of a Lebanese cedar tree, planted by the client’s grandmother that sadly had to be felled.

Stefano Puzzuoli is a rising star: he began his career in 2020