I was born into art and I learned the family craft from my mother, in the workshop founded by my great-grandfather. I’ve been very lucky. She taught me everything: the technical skills, the artistic taste and the work ethic, made of respect and reliability.

Technically speaking, some parts of the process are very complex, while others are simple. Making bespoke pieces, following a customer’s design requires a lot of research. You never stop learning. But I’d say that now bureaucracy is the most challenging aspect.

In Campo Ligure we’ve just created a craft association of which I am the president, to promote courses and initiatives. Our filigree heritage has to be saved; in th 60s there were 35 workshops in our small town of 3,000 people, today there are only eight.

The filigree technique is ancient and now we have modern galvanic plating (yellow and pink gold). I try to take advantage of these methods to imagine new objects, such as my ballet dancers series or even furnishings, collaborating with a slate worker.