Gianluca Pacchioni

After graduating in economics and business studies from the Bocconi University in Milan, Gianluca Pacchioni moved to Paris in the 1990s. There he was plunged into the Paris art world and was overcome with a passion for sculpting metals. Gianluca experimented and learnt in an autodidactic manner at the studio at the Quai de la Gare that he shared with other artists. A desire to work in tandem with other Italian artists drove Gianluca to move back to Milan, where he opened a workshop in a 1930s factory. Since then, his workshop has been creating sculptures and limited edition furniture using experimental and innovative working techniques. In 2014 one of his works was put on permanent display as a symbol of Italian savoir-faire, at the entrance hall of the Italian Embassy in Paris.

To step into the studio-home of Gianluca Pacchioni is a magical experience. Within an old eyedrop factory, very close to the centre of Milan, you will find a whole universe inhabited by enormous sculptures in metal and stone, unique works that are undeniably made by this master artisan, whose talent is appreciated all over the world. Pacchioni is dedicated to forging, a passion he discovered quite by chance. “I was about to graduate in economics in Paris, when I fell in love with a rather bohemian girl who had many acquaintances in the art world. It was an epiphany; she was the one who introduced me to the entourage of Les Frigos, at 91 Quai de la Gare, one of the symbols of the Parisian art scene in the 1990s.”

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