Francesco Raimondi

Vietri sul Mare has been a centre of ceramics since Roman times, thanks to the clay found in the mouth of the Bonea river, around which sprung up a unique town with a terracotta heart. “If you scrape the plaster off the houses you will find waste material from the furnaces,” explains Francesco Raimondi, one of the area’s undisputed masters of ceramics. He learned this art as a child; after school, he would run to the workshop of Bambiniello, an artisan living in his neighbourhood. One day his master decided to put him to the test. “He had just finished firing a horse, and he told me to take it away and decorate it. He liked the result so much that he agreed to train me during my free time after school.”

In the early years of his career as a ceramicist, Francesco Raimondi placed an important emphasis on exploring and upholding the rich regional ceramic tradition. As the years passed his works started to push through the barriers with an increasing impulse for innovation, reflecting his belief that ceramics as a craft is constantly changing. Francesco believes that while creators are subject to a natural process of change, in tune with their own inner sensitivity, one is influenced by the artistic currents that are continually renewed. It seemed to him that everything had already been said about the traditional style, but, in order not to stray from what he is, Francesco tried to retain a foundation of tradition in his works. Encouraged by knowledge passed on by great internationally renowned artists, who work with him in his workshop, Francesco found a new interpretation of the art that has always affected his works. After much reflection, he managed to reach a new form of expression that combined tradition with innovation.

From 1981 to 1991 Francesco Raimondi worked at "Nando", a small workshop on the Amalfi Coast. In 1992 he was hired by Raffaele Pinto, owner of the eponymous ceramic factory. It was here that he would meet and work under Giovannino Carrano. In 1999 he left the Pinto factory and embarked on a collaboration with Bruno Siani's CEAR. At the same time, he opened his own workshop. This gave him the opportunity to operate with greater freedom, fully manifesting his creative flair and great technical skill. A meeting with Manuel Cargaleiro was decisive and inspired him to create a geometric style influenced by a variety of cultures and created with an infinite number of variables. These new creations were immediately appreciated by architects, designers and collectors.

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