Stefano Faccini
I am Stefano Faccini, a sculptor born in Bergamo in 1976. Since 1999 I have been working with stone, marble and other stone materials, developing a research that combines the artisanal practice of traditional sculpture with contemporary artistic design.
My encounter with sculpture wasn't planned. It happened suddenly, during my university years, when I clearly felt the need to work with my hands.
I needed to break, to come into direct contact with the material . Sculpture immediately seemed to me the natural language for this impulse: removing material, breaking the stone to reveal a form.
From that moment on, I searched for a workshop where I could truly learn the trade. So I began frequenting the stonemasons' workshops in the Maiella mountains , where I learned traditional stoneworking techniques.
They were simple places, often located near cemeteries, because the work of stonemasons was historically linked to the creation of tombstones and funerary artifacts. In those workshops, I learned the value of manual labor, patience, and a direct relationship with the material.
Throughout my career, I have created monumental works, sculptures for public spaces, and sacred furnishings, as well as busts and figures dedicated to historical and religious figures. I have also participated in restoration projects in contexts of great historical value, collaborating on projects related to the dome of St. Peter's Basilica , the area of the Imperial Forums , several projects carried out in Libya , and the Castello della Monica in Teramo.
Alongside my artistic practice, I have participated in numerous international sculpture symposia and meetings , working and engaging with artists from various countries including Belgium, France, Bulgaria and China .
These experiences have broadened my perspective on contemporary sculpture , while always maintaining the central relationship with manual skill and direct work on the material.
stone wind trees
One of the central threads of my sculptural research explores forms that emerge from the meeting of opposing tensions: sharp edges and flowing curves.
A clear example is the series of stone trees bent by the wind—sculptures in which the rigidity of the material is crossed by a fluid movement, creating a dialogue between strength and flexibility, stability and transformation.
When I create a commissioned work, I always start with the location that will host it. The space, the landscape, and the community that will inhabit the work are fundamental elements of the creative process. This is why the work always arises from a dialogue with the client and the local area , seeking to strike a balance between freedom of expression and the identity of the place.
Since 2016, I have been president of the Associazione Eclettica – Cultura dell'Arte (Eclectic Association – Culture of Art), through which I promote cultural projects dedicated to the dialogue between contemporary art, the local area, and the community.
Since 2020, I have also been the artistic director of the 10 Giornate in Pietra (10 Days in Stone) event, an international public sculpture symposium that brings together artists from various countries with the aim of promoting artistic craftsmanship and stonework. This is the context in which the works called "Pietrales" were born, public art interventions destined to remain in the area.
In my work, sculpture remains first and foremost a physical and perceptual experience.
Stone exists in space thanks to the light and shadows that pass through it, and it changes continuously over time.
When someone approaches one of my works, my wish is that they can experience it as a direct encounter: a moment of presence in which matter, form and personal experience enter into a relationship.
