· How would you define yourself as an artist in three words, and why?

I am an artist who has always worked in the field of abstraction—sometimes geometric, other times more synthetic and organic—trying to maintain a balance between expansion and restraint in my work, from a very personal perspective.

· At what point did you realize that art wasn’t just something you did, but part of who you are?

I think I realized it when I realized I couldn’t stop thinking about shapes. At times I would imagine variations of the sculptures I was making and also of others I never developed, or I would draw a sketch and then different variations of those forms would emerge. So, it became a very enjoyable process for me that kept me detached from reality.

· What aspect of your personality is most strongly reflected in your work?

I think it’s patience, the search for balance, and knowing when something is finished.

· When you start a new piece, do you begin with a clear idea, or do you let the work reveal itself during the process?

I usually work on a series of sculptures that define a path. The first thing I think about is the format, since I need an initial premise, a starting point to situate the sculpture in a real space; from there, the work develops.

· What role does intuition play in your creative process?

It is at that point, as the work unfolds, that intuition comes into play: discovering steps that rule out others without knowing why and finding the thread in that visual score that is taking shape.

· What is your creative process like, from the initial impulse to the finished work?

Initially, I’m surrounded by the materials I’m going to work with. Often they’re the beginnings of shapes and similar repetitions that vary slightly: signs, symbols, and sometimes ideas I can connect everything to.

Then I begin to piece things together and add elements to create a form that gradually reveals itself. Eventually, there comes a point where the piece is finished, and I’m sometimes left wondering whether to continue it—knowing when to stop, to exercise restraint. If I were to continue the work, it would be by a different artist, with a different result.

· What attracts you to the materials you use, and what do they allow you to express?

I primarily use wood and occasionally cast iron elements. With wood, I’m drawn to its texture, its tones, and its hardness, which allows me to work with it by seeking the vibration of the surfaces—sometimes the shine on highly polished surfaces, other times the small, intermittent glints created on scraped surfaces.

I also work with surfaces painted white and then sanded down to reveal the wood beneath. In all cases, it becomes a slow process involving repetitive movements through which the energy of my hands and my intention are transmitted into the material.

· How do you work with the balance between structure, form, and void in your sculptures?

Intuition plays a big role here: pausing a lot during the intermediate stages of the work, letting it rest so I can look at it the next day and continue, sometimes dismantling it and taking a different path, or setting the work aside for another time.

Keep in mind that I don’t work with a set plan, except when the piece is quite far along and I can already begin to imagine the next steps.

· At what point do you know a work is finished?

There comes a moment when I know; that doesn’t mean I couldn’t continue it and turn it into a much more complex piece. I mentioned earlier that I prefer to hold back rather than go overboard; it’s a moment of respite and calm, but I don’t want to mislead anyone—I don’t work in suffering; for me, that process is enjoyable.

· What emotions or inner states are you exploring in your current work?

I think the emotion is always the same—a state of constant searching, but slowly, without haste. I’m always thinking about harmony, beauty, and love; I’m quite straightforward in that regard.

The exploration varies from one series to another; sometimes I’m looking for movement in the work, other times for more static compositions.

This past month I’ve been working with L-shaped modules made of painted and sanded wood, which I use to compose arrangements, something similar to what the Dadaists did with their cut-up words, although in my case chance is a controlled and directed process—perhaps in all cases.

I’ve worked this way before, and surely many other artists have as well.

· Do you create with the viewer in mind, or is it a completely personal process?

Actually, no. I work on one sculpture after another, jumping from one series to another as I please. It’s a different matter when I’m working on a commission and a sculpture has to fit into a specific space and be part of the series I’m working on. In that case, I put myself in the viewer’s shoes—that is, the client’s.

· What does art allow you to express that you cannot put into words?

With sculpture, I can transform spaces; I can bring beauty and harmony to the people who live with my works, who can touch them and move them. It’s a personal intention, and I believe that’s how it happens.

· What have you discovered about yourself through your work?

That has changed over time, but ultimately, discovering patience within myself, establishing a rhythm of life, and knowing that time is not an enemy. Optimism.

· What drives you today to keep creating?

The pleasure of facing the new, time and time again. Knowing that I wasn’t wrong when I was a child—that I wanted to be an artist—and being able to express myself until the very last day of my artistic career.