Judith Sotriffer

In Ottana, Franco Maritato, an expert carver, is a dedicated artist who creates traditional local carnival masks, the caratza, tangible manifestations of the ancient tales and myths. Creating a caratza requires inspiration and listening skills, because “the ancestors send the vision of a man or animal’s face, so that the sculptor was inspired to pick […]

Marcello Aversa’s passion for Neapolitan nativity scenes developed in the early eighties. At first, he adopted the traditional technique by using cork and wood, and then he found an outlet for his creativity in clay. He models his figurines in clay by using pins and little sticks, which look like finely carved sculptures. For some […]

Judith Sotriffer makes old Val Gardena dolls: a tradition that was already going strong in the 1700s and disappeared in 1930. In Val Gardena the production of wooden toys is an established tradition. It is said that each family specialised in a toy. Judith’s father is a sculptor and carver of toys, but not dolls. […]

How can one not succumb to the charm of Venetian masks and to the world’s most elegant Carnival? For a taste of its atmosphere, visit the artisan atelier in Dorsoduro Ca’ Macana which, since 1984, a time of renaissance for the Venetian Carnival, has been creating traditional and artistic papier-mâché masks, entirely handmade by using […]