In these cold days of February, something special has been taking place.
As you know, nothing makes me happier than sharing my skills and knowledge with others, because being able to convey the passion entailed in the creation of a jewel and seeing another person learning how to give an actual and tangible shape to their creative visions is the most enriching experience of all.
In fact I feel honored to be part of the project called Venezia Artigiana organized by the Career Service of Ca' Foscari University and to have been invited to teach to future generations the tricks of the trade. The project arose from the will to underline the importance and value of traditional artisan work and craftsmanship. In a world where most things are machine-made, unique objects that being created by hand can never be identical to one another, have an incredible emotional value and it is essential that young generations can experience the magic of this type of work.
For two days, February 20 and 21, I held two lessons, theoretical and practical. In the beautiful headquarters of Ca' Foscari, in a cosy room lighten by the natural light coming from the water door, a group of both undergraduates and graduates students spent the morning with me and it has been marvelous. I taught them the abcs and gave them live demonstrations of how to start creating with wax, and in return I received their enthusiasm and curiosity. An emotional and professional exchange I feel grateful for.
Lost-wax is an ancient technique, yet I believe it is extremely current and that it is of the utmost importance to maintain and pass-down the craft. Yes, the world keeps evolving and new technologies improve our daily lives in many ways, but we are and always be humans and as such we need to use our hands and heart. I always say that I never have a pre-crafted model in my mind, that all my creations are born from my inner instinct and emotions, that my hands just do what my heart tells them to.
Of course, over time my ability to shape and create sculptures has refined, but I still firmly believe that without something to say and strong feelings, no matter how great someone's technical skills may be, there would be no creation. For this reason, in addition to the mere practical hands-on experience, what I wanted to convey is the need to let ourselves go and live our life and emotions to the fullest, because life is an incredible gift and even negative experiences can give light to positive reactions and help us learn more about ourselves and the world.
Lost-wax is a craft that pushes people to be live with an open-mind and heart and being able to share all this with an adult public, ready to start their journey into the professional world has been incredible. I enjoy all workshops, but I want to underline that differently from the ones I hold with younger kids, these ones addressed to a professional world are important to prove that applied arts and crafts can become real jobs, that it is absolutely possible to make a living thanks to our creativity. So, it is a must that we follow our dreams and passions because they will turn into our life career!
A huge thank you to the University of Ca'Foscari for having giving me this possibility, and another huge thank you to all the students that will soon start their careers for making these two mornings so special. It is an experience I will treasure forever and always feel grateful for.
As for the rest, please allow me to remind you that I also offer personalized workshops in my boutique in Piazza San Marco. You can find more information on this page and contact me to learn more.
Valeria Boncompagni
Piazza San Marco 130, Venice valeriasacchi7@gmail.com
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