What is the real value of jewellery for you?
I am not really focused on the actual value of a jewel. I mainly work with poor materials, like bronze and brass, or with pieces of olive wood. The real value is the ability to convey to someone else the emotions that I feel when something inspires me.
Where do you take your inspiration from?
My region, history, architecture, nature, the wind and the sea. I spent several years away from home in Vicenza to learn the craft, in the Marche region for an artistic residency, but I belong to Otranto where I was born. I came back a few years ago to realise my dream of opening my own goldsmith workshop, in 2016.
©Mimmo Villani
What does your hometown mean to you?
Otranto is a small town but it’s incredibly rich in the arts and history. Above all, it’s right on the sea, and it’s the most eastern piece of land in Italy. It’s both a beautiful and a symbolic place: a gateway to the rest of the world, open to different cultures and to welcoming other people.
What is the ultimate purpose of your creativity?
Once I learned how to master the techniques, my artistic challenge shifted to finding my own language in order to be able to transmit my emotions. I want to share my feelings and create a dialogue between people through my jewellery.