The Butterfly’s Eye by Beatrice Brandini
The 32nd edition of *Artigianato e Palazzo* at Florence’s Giardino Corsini has concluded with great success.
There was a large turnout of visitors from all over Italy, but the true stars of the event were—as always—the artisans and designers. Just like every year, they showcased their expertise and shared their stories, enriching a historic garden of incredible beauty.
Nature took center stage at this edition, powerfully demonstrating its role as the source of the creative process. It was a celebration of nature as the transformation of earth, water, and matter—featuring natural materials and traditional methods alongside innovative upcycling techniques.
I’ve put together a brief overview of what I liked best, though there were countless other beautiful things to see.
Natura Aurea: Ceramiche di Antonietta Mazzotti Emaldi. Delightful ceramics inspired by the botanical world—specifically the pomegranate. The collection is named *Proserpina*, drawing inspiration from the classical myth of the goddess and her symbolic connection to the pomegranate’s themes: fertility and transformation.
Mazzanti Piume: since 1935, the art of bringing feathers to life across fashion, art, and design. Three generations transforming feathers into a living element. Incredible.
CanyaLab, a bio-architecture studio dedicated to the design and construction of structures made from bamboo and Mediterranean reed, founded in Florence by Matteo Mannini in 2023. Great!
Filistrucchi. The Filistrucchi workshop—established in 1720 and the oldest of its kind—specializes in wigs, beards, mustaches, masks, and professional makeup for theater, cinema, and television. They also cater to the fashion industry and private clients wishing to take center stage by transforming into someone—or something—else. Over three centuries of history in the service of the performing arts. History in the service of entertainment.
Disegno e Colore ed Interni: Silvia Magrini and Stefano Giovacchini founded this artisan workshop dedicated to natural paints, colors, and design. Stefano was at work, and it was very interesting.
Nika Arts: an artistic craft workshop founded in 2016 in Cortona, Tuscany. It specializes in creating unique furnishings and objects for both interiors and exteriors, combining natural materials—such as olive wood—with wrought iron or steel. The fountain was stunning!
Sanjar Ravshanovich Nazarov, a master embroiderer representing the third generation of his family, runs a large workshop in Uzbekistan alongside his relatives; the embroidered bags and embellished jackets are exquisite. The Nazarov family has received the UNESCO Award of Excellence.
Marco Bonechi Collection featuring *Sottobosco*. A painter and printmaker since the 1980s, he later turned to sculpture, reinterpreting the tradition of glazed terracotta in the style of the Della Robbia family. His works draw inspiration from nature, myth, and spirituality.
Atelier Taftique: pictured on the right is the work *Angelique* by Jules Vissers. This atelier designs and creates hand-embroidered tapestries using only the highest quality Italian yarns. They have participated in Milan Design Week, Dubai Design Week, and the Venice Biennale.
Il Carato, featuring Arianna and Sandra—artists who founded the “Il Carato” goldsmith workshop. While their primary focus is art jewelry, they also experiment with other forms of artistic expression, such as this sculpture, in which metal is crafted with the same mastery found in their jewelry making.
Tommaso Maselli, specialized in the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage, Tommaso Maselli began his first steps in the historic family workshop, where he still works today as a craftsman and restorer.
Davide Palardi: a new way of conceiving furniture, it is not simply about furniture, but about objects, functional sculptures that tell stories. In this case, too, very personal and really fascinating.
Collevilca is an Italian company with over 50 years of experience in the field of the artisan art of crystal processing. The blowing, modulation and finishing of the pieces are linked to magical ceremonials of the master glassmakers. Uniqueness!
Atelier Terre, Philip and Arianne create unique pieces of furniture and jewellery, their background is that of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, and their passion is a special form of mosaic, called semi-precious stone mosaic. Very interesting
Franco Cicerchia Ceramiche con Semisfere, artist and ceramist, son of art, the laboratory was founded in 1970, Franco Cicerchia creates works also using ceramic processing waste which, in their “imperfection”, become unique objects that tell true stories.
Edi Magi, a graduate in foreign languages and literature, creates sculptures that tell of her passions, travel, nature and the sea.
In a world that is increasingly connected and disrupted by the advent of AI, these fairs make us hope and think that there is an alternative world. That no machine will ever be able to replace man, with his thousand contradictions, but also with his uniqueness as a human being.
Have a good life everyone!
Beatrice