Quality, Beauty and Meaning have always been part of growing up in a household of craftsmen, particularly Italian craftsmen, who are so in touch with their traditions.

My father comes from a long line of Italian knife-grinders who originate from the Trentino region in northern Italy. This is a lakes and mountains area of outstanding natural beauty, framed by the majestic Dolomites. The inaccessibility of the mountains make the inhabitants resourceful and self-reliant, fostering the skills essential for superb craftsmanship. As dedicated craftsmen, they created pieces where beauty and function meet, a quintessentially Italian talent. These skills are passed down from generation to generation.

I spent my early years in London, where my family has been in the knife-grinding business for the past 150 years, and went to Italy in my early teens. I studied Fine Art and Photography at the Istituto d’Arte of Trento and Urbino obtaining a Fine Arts Diploma, Diploma di Arti Decorative. Family circumstances then led me back to London.

While working in a photographic studio for a number of years, I kept my passion for art alive through professional courses. One formative experience was the Illustration and Life Drawing course at St Martin’s School of Art, as well as Airbrushing at the London College of Printing. I regularly attend Heatherley’s Art School in Chelsea for Life Drawing. I find it is vital to interact with other artists and be inspired by their work.

I maintain strong links with Italy and spend time there every year, walking in the Alps sketching and painting. There is something timeless about being in mountains. They summon a quiet respect (the same feeling you can have in a cathedral or sacred place) and put you in touch with something essential.

Even so, I consider myself a Londoner and live and work in Wimbledon where I have my treasured studio. London is my home and  I truly cherish this wonderful city vibrant with energy and variety.