Michele Picone was born in 1967 in Catania, the city where he currently lives and works.
As a self-tought, he decided to undertake his studies in the arts, doing research and deepening his knowledge of both classic and contemporary mosaic tradition. He choses mosaic as his privileged expressive form. In the 90’s he started his first art studio in the artistic craftmanship field.
Starting from the mosaic tradition, Michele opens up to new possibilities. Thanks to a constant and continuous experimentation over the years, he has always tried to strenghten the communicative power of his creations. The search for new materials and the acquisition of innovative techniques allowed an absolute freedom in design, making Michele’s works uniques and immediately identifiable.
Murano glass, resins, gold, marble, wood, terracotta and mostly the black Etna’s lava stone: these are just some of the various elements which characterize his creations.
All of his works are as rich and versatile as the journey taken by Michele throughout the years: from design objects to home accessories, from jewelry to interior design.
Michele constantly hosts contemporary mosaic courses in his studio. He has always collaborated with the local institutions in order to promote the artistic craftmanship, organizing exhibitions and creative workshops. He has also taken part in countless national and international exhibitions.
In 2016 he participated in the VII edition of the international competition Pictor Imaginarius, in Nazzano (in the province of Rome), and claimed third place with his work “Us & them – finestra sulle diversità (s)oggettive”.
Since 2016, his work “Atolli” has joined the project Primedicopertina (curated by the cultural organization Operae Milò), a continuous ongoing collection of artworks since 1990, which over time has become a travelling exhibition.
Two of his works – ”Contatto” and “In un vortice…” – were selected for the V and the VI Biennale di Mosaico Contemporaneo, in Ravenna, in 2017 and 2019.
In 2018 he took part in the VII edition of Musiwa, in Florence.
The Park Museum of Casa degli Artisti in Sant’Anna del Furlo (Fossombrone) – in the Marches – hosts 5 of his creations: “Limes” (2017), “Hypo” (2018), “Tabula Rasa” (2019), “Stati di separazione” (2020) and “Fingersi d’acqua” (2021).
Michele is currently vice president of the Cultural Artistic Association Delfare, taking care of the management of different cultural events and manifestations that promote and enhance the Sicilian artistic craftsmanship.
Lesson type: teacher-led – one-to-one (each student follows an individual, personalised course as though it were a one-to-one course)
Participants: Min. 5 – Max. 10 studenti
Personal, end-of-course certificate of attendance
Programme:
Equipment available for the students hardie, hammer, pliers, tile nippers and all the tools required to learn and practise the art of mosaic.
Materials available for the students: marble, enamel, glass, terracotta.
We suggest to wear comfortable clothing for the course.
We guarantee compliance with the safety measures and regulations required by the italian government for in person courses.
The first In Tessere workshop specialising in producing traditional copies, created according to the strict rules of this ancient art, was held in Ravenna at least 15 years ago.
It offered a wealth of basic skills to reveal the potential of an age-old technique with numerous, new facets ranging from traditional to innovative.
In Tessere has acquired skills over time and worked closely with artists and public and private customers. Now, each piece it produces exploits the unique qualities of the materials, reflects the customer’s taste and respects the surrounding environment.
At the current headquarters in Narni, all the steps in the process are carried out exclusively by hand, from cutting the tesserae, to project design and modern application methods: nowadays, new glues and bases ensure mosaic art is suitable for all types of decor to create modern works ranging from interior to urban design.
Born in Rome in 1975, she studied art and was awarded the diploma of Master Mosaicist. After an apprenticeship and internships with artistic businesses in Ravenna, she began her own business in 2000, creating artistic mosaics to order. By working with artists and professionals, she learned to create works of contemporary art and design.
In 2002, she moved to Narni in Umbria: her total dedication to this genre of art led the artist to become a lecturer in mosaic art for private and official organisations in this charming mediaeval village.
The artistic technique she uses to create mosaics is based closely on tradition to guarantee top quality production. The texture of the tesserae in the mosaics she designs enables her to express herself in plastic form. Her works have been exhibited in various regional and national exhibitions and are beginning to reap recognition and awards.
In 2016, she created the association “In Tessere” and, as President, her objective was to enhance local artistic handcraft. The success of the events and exhibitions she has curated has led her to work closely with a group of artistic professionals to create a new association ArteM.
Her art studio has since become a multi-purpose centre of local art in the Italian artistic tradition.
