Filippo Gherardi (b.1983) Italy

18th Century Gilt Fragments, wood sculpture

Filippo Gherardi was born in Livorno, Italy. Driven by his passion for antiques, he studied and practiced the art of restoration and gilding. The intriguing history and patina of antique fragments leads Gherardi to analyze the pieces. Sparked by the unifying nature of these seemingly disparate castoff objects, the artist takes the "useless and inanimate" objects and revives them by creating contemporary works of art. It is the change of the original context of the pieces to the re-imagined that transitions these works from the realm of antique to the contemporary.