What fascinated you about silicone?
To begin with, that it didn't have a history. I realised that it was a totally free and open field. At that time, I had no background in art, design or crafts. For me it was total darkness. The first silicone jar I made was very primitive, but I didn't care at all, it was a challenge that I made mine.
Is it a difficult material to work with?
The silicone I used for the first 15 years is the one normally used to seal windows, which I learned to model with special techniques I developed over time. The one I use now has a more liquid consistency and a completely different type of processing, which has opened yet another chapter.
© Damiano Andreotti
How do you approach silicone?
I have always approached this contemporary material with primitive techniques, starting from the hands. Our hands represent our tradition, because it is from their experience that our intelligence was formed. Using them on new materials creates a short circuit that releases a great creative energy.
Are you inspired by your home region?
I was born and raised in Biella, a region historically linked to textile manufacturing but also the seat of the Pistoletto Foundation. From textiles I absorbed the value of beauty, of colours and of the research of materials. From Pistoletto the importance of thinking and the responsibility of art.