MAKERS | EUROPE | ITALY | PAPER
Marta Tullio Nardi | Paper Flower Maker
Paper holds a distinguished place in the history of the Serenissima, a region whose rich cultural heritage continually reveals unexpected insights and original artifacts. Yet, in the hands of Marta Nardi, paper transcends its traditional form and blossoms into something entirely new: a flower. From full bouquets and single peonies designed as brooches, to delicate stems bursting with petals – Marta's creations showcase her boundless creativity. Self taught, she brings her artistic vision to life with skills borrowed from goldsmithing, and credits two essential qualities for her success: creativity and sheer determination.
How did you begin?
It started like this...My husband owns a historic jewellery shop in Piazza San Marco and when I joined him, the only thing I thought I could add to the family business was the feminine touch. I set to work on window displays, because I have always been comfortable with the idea of working with my hands, and one Christmas when I wanted to do something particularly stunning, the idea of making paper flowers was born. Speaking of inspiration in a broader sense, my training is as a gemologist, and esprience with jewelry certainly trained me in the sense of color, proportion, and sensitivity to beauty.
How did you learn?
I have always had a lot of manual dexterity, and I am very stubborn, so after visualizing the result I wanted to achieve, I went ahead by trial and error. Since I am completely self-taught, my technique is only my own. It was curious, meeting other colleagues in the field, to realize that to achieve similar results we all have very different techniques. At first, not being aware of the steps to arrive at the final result, I simply tried cutting paper and using a rabbit net as a frame. Those first attempts had something crazy. But after the first experiments I started to understand how I had to do it, and to find people who could share with me their tricks.
How do you plan, prepare and create?
Each creation has a different process. The process starts with treating the paper, which has to be creped, glued, and set out to dry. Then comes the cutting and folding of the petals. Each step requires great precision. As for stem flowers, on the other hand, I can give free rein to my imagination, using different thicknesses of paper and creating very interesting color combinations.
Who or what most influences your work?
My main influence is color. Often the first approach to a new work starts with that, and only later do I decide what kind of flower to make. I live in a city, Venice, where the color is constantly changing depending on the time of day and how the reflections on the water mirror the incredible colors of the palaces. And of course paintings and frescoes where flowers appear are also an inexhaustible source of inspiration too, and this is even though I often produce flowers that do not exist in real life...they are invented.
Worst and best things about being a craftsperson today?
I set up my workshop in a corner of my house, where great peace reigns and I can concentrate. Working with my hands means recapturing a slowness of execution that we rarely experience in our lives, and it's nice to get enclosed in this sort of bubble.
One more thing... What music do you listen to when you work?
I have a passion for any kind of music played with the cello, it literally transports me to another dimension, from Bach suites played by Yo-Yo Ma to contemporary music by Morricone.
Interview by Sara Pierdonà
Images from @mildabend
EXPLORE THE ATLAS
∼ Inspired by Silk Road ∼
