ARTISTRY AND INTUITION: WE TALKED TO ANDREA BUCCELLATI
Buccellati bracelet. Digital art by Carole Tagliaferri.Everything you can imagine is real.
Pablo Picasso
There is a perfect charm in holding a Buccellati piece, an irresistible urge not just to admire it, but to wear it, to melt it into your very essence.
This is the magic Andrea Buccellati continues to weave as the Creative Director at Buccellati, an Italian jewelry house renowned for its timeless masterpieces.
I'm really interested in the collaborative thing. It's what makes it scary because you never know what it's going to end up like. But you hope. You put yourself in the hands of the best people you can find, and you're completely dependent on the kindness of strangers and their commitment. It's like this mutual delusion.
Meryl Streep
In 1936, Mario Buccellati, the founder of Buccellati, was nicknamed “The Prince of Goldsmiths” by Gabriele d'Annunzio, one of Italy’s most influential writers.
The brand's recent exhibition, "The Prince of Goldsmiths, Rediscovering the Classics", was held from April 18th to June 18th, 2024, in Venice's evocative Oficine 800 on the Giudecca Canal. Curated by Alba Cappellieri and produced by Balich Wonder Studio, the retrospective coincided with the Venice Art Biennale, a fitting backdrop for a brand that has long been synonymous with artistic excellence.
One of the finest exhibitions I've ever seen, brought to life in just under a year by an amazing team of curators, historians, family members, and clients who generously donated their treasured possessions, it was incredibly well-organized, interactive, and engaging from start to finish, balancing reading, observation, and new media interactions.
Every corner of the exhibition reminded me of the countless hours of work by artisans, all guided by Andrea´s creative forces.
Whether you succeed or not is irrelevant, there is no such thing. Making your unknown known is the important thing.
Georgia O’Keeffe
With a 70-80% success rate in the initial drawing and meticulous, detailed instructions given to jewelers, stone-cutters, stone-setters, the final result is ultimately brought to life by human touch. Feelings, intuition, experience, and physical skill—all merge to produce the masterpiece.
Once the drawing is complete, Andrea’s intuition guides him in selecting the best artisans for the job. A single drawing can be interpreted in hundreds different ways by various artisans, reflecting the diverse talent pool at Buccellati, including both young and seasoned artists. Many of the younger talents emerge from the Accademia Buccellati in Milan and the Scuola Orafa Ambrosiana, contributing to the brand's legacy.
Great art picks up where nature ends.
Marc Chagall
Andrea's inspiration remains undimmed, drawn from the true and real sources that connect us as human beings: nature, women, and the stones themselves. He creates with a relentless drive, whether at his desk, underwater, or high in the sky. His mission is singular and endless—to create.
To create means to rise above crises, mobilize oneself, and channel that energy into production. Happiness, too, fuels creativity, turning joy into a wellspring of productivity.
As Andrea crafts his legacy, his daughter, Lucrezia Buccellati, Brand Ambassador and Co-creative Director, steps forward to meet the challenges of Generations Z and Alpha, and possibly even Beta, continuing the tradition of the jewelry house with a fresh perspective and dedication.
To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it.
Kurt Vonnegut
The market gap between everyday, casual jewelry lines and exclusive masterpieces is evident today. Counterintuitively, or not, this gap is actually beneficial, as there are individuals willing to pay any price for a unique piece without hesitation. This enables artists to create without limitations, allowing their imagination and creativity to flourish unrestricted by material and financial constraints.
I often find myself feeling spoiled, holding the most beautiful and exquisite pieces in my hands. Not every piece of jewelry compels me to possess it, but Buccellati's creations are ones I always yearn to wear.
An integral part of my style, they become an extension of myself.
The incredible images of beautiful women by a digital artist Carole Tagliaferri.
