Davide Oddone

Filigranart

Jewellery maker

©Luca Orlandini

The grace of filigree

Davide makes jewellery out of silver threads
He learned everything from his mother
His work is deeply rooted in his home town

Davide Oddone has always wished to carry on the family tradition of silver filigree. Following a degree in Political Sciences, in 2006 he took over the family business from his mother. In his workshop in Campo Ligure, the homeland of this craft, he produces the most delicate and refined jewellery, playing with transparency and grace. Twisting subtle silver threads, he creates earrings, necklaces, brooches, bracelets, rings, spanning from classic subjects such as butterflies, edelweiss, orchids and religious themes, to abstract shapes of fashion jewellery. “I have a cultural heritage I can reproduce and reinterpret. This craft is very flexible and silver is a malleable metal: so the range of creative choices is wide and thrilling," Davide says.

Interview

©Luca Orlandini

©Luca Orlandini

Were you trained by a master?: I was born into art and I learned the family craft from my mother, in the workshop founded by my great-grandfather. I’ve been very lucky. She taught me everything: the technical skills, the artistic taste and the work ethic, made of respect and reliability.
What is challenging in your work?: Technically speaking, some parts of the process are very complex, while others are simple. Making bespoke pieces, following a customer’s design requires a lot of research. You never stop learning. But I’d say that now bureaucracy is the most challenging aspect.
Could your craft be considered in danger?: In Campo Ligure we’ve just created a craft association of which I am the president, to promote courses and initiatives. Our filigree heritage has to be saved; in th 60s there were 35 workshops in our small town of 3,000 people, today there are only eight.
What are the most distinctive features of your work?: The filigree technique is ancient and now we have modern galvanic plating (yellow and pink gold). I try to take advantage of these methods to imagine new objects, such as my ballet dancers series or even furnishings, collaborating with a slate worker.

Davide Oddone is an expert artisan: he began his career in 2005