The Artist
About Me
I’m Michela and I live in Italy.
I started my working career as a fashion designer but I grew up as an eclectic artist, with a passion for creative craftmanship.
Today I create sustainable paper pulp artworks: wall art, home decorations and other works. Each piece is unique so not reproducible.
Each piece is unique so not reproducible!
ABOUT PAPER PULP
Papier-mâché has ancient origins. Its name “papier-mâché” generally indicates all works made through the use of paper. There are two main types of papier-mâché:
- Paper pulp, also known as papier mâché, or macerated and pulped paper. This is the main technique I habitually use in my works.
- Glued paper, also known as papier collé and perhaps the most famous, in which pieces of paper and glue are applied adding different layers. Italian and Mexican parade floats, for example, are built with this technique.
In Italy, the first documented writings and artworks date back to the end of the 14th century.
Sculptors such as Donatello (1386-1466 AD) or Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598 – 1680 AD) used papier-mâché. Artists of the past have created statues, ceilings of churches and historic buildings, religious floats, paintings and toys of all kinds.
Many works still exist today and the state of conservation demonstrate how papier-mâché, appropriately mixed, is a material far from fragile. It is a robust compound, even if light, but not easy to wear out.
Today, it is still used in scenography, cinema, theater and by artists from all over the world
PRODUCTS
My products are the result of time (a lot of time!) and absolute patience.
The paper, macereted in water for several days, is crushed and mixed with glues and other materials, until it forms a malleable “pulp” similar to clay. The finished product must dry for a variable time (from a few days to a few weeks depending on the thickness and size of the piece) and once dry, take on all the characteristics of wood.
It is finally perfected, finished and painted by hand.
The main characteristic of my works is the texture and the irregular surface, perfect in its natural imperfection.
