Vincenzo Del Monaco
The architect of ceramics
- Vincenzo is a multifaceted ceramicist and architect
- His family have been ceramicists for five generations
- He combines handcrafting with digital technologies
Vincenzo Del Monaco embodies a perfectly contemporary Renaissance man. Born into one of the most important dynasties of ceramicists in Grottaglie, in the Apulia region – a centre of ceramic creation for centuries – he started handcrafting his pieces in the renowned family workshop when he was just a kid, and he hasn't stopped studying and evolving ever since. Architect, researcher and artist, he merges traditional craftsmanship with avant-guard technologies such as 3D modelling and digital scanning to investigate materials and forms and their role in creating “a relationship between an object and a subject”, which is his ongoing challenge and inspiration. Openminded and experimental, Vincenzo's vision leads him in a variety of directions and has resulted in the creation of bronze sculptures as well as beautiful tableware made in collaboration with Michelin-starred chefs.
Interview
- Where did you learn your craft?
- I started getting my hands dirty when I was a kid and my father taught me everything about majolica and terracotta. My family’s workshop was like a Renaissance bottega, with eight or nine people mastering their own craft and creating stunning tableware for royal tables.
- Are you continuing your family’s work?
- My work is complementary. I studied architecture in Rome and spent years in two international architectural firms as an expert in mockup production and models. I understood that bringing handmade ceramics into contemporary architecture was my personal challenge.
- Is experimentation part of your challenge?
- Experimentation must be ongoing. Digital technologies offer countless opportunities to evolve our work, especially in terms of form and function, two key aspects in my research. They could also be a driver to attract young talents to craftsmanship, but traditional technical skills are still the basis of the craft.
- What's your inspiration?
- My research focuses on the relationship between the subject and the object, a relationship that results in real life stories in the end. I try not to impose any limits on my research, which is more and more spiritual and artistic as time goes by.
Vincenzo Del Monaco is a master artisan: he began his career in 2009 and he started teaching in 2015
Where
Vincenzo Del Monaco
