michele de lucchi’s handsewn picket sculptures honor the imperfection of handbook craft

 

‘legni cuciti’ exhibition by michele de lucchi in milan

 

‘legni cuciti’ or ‘sewn woods’ is the latest exhibition at the antonia jannone art gallery in milan, featuring new works by architect and designer michele de lucchi. eighteen drawing compositions and eleven never-before-seen sculptures will be on display to narrate de lucci’s fascination with the imperfection and value of handmade craft. 

 

inspired by the traditional sewing method of inuit canoes, the designer moves away from technical conventions and explores the potential of sewing wood together. the resulting pieces evoke free experimentation on raw material and celebrate ‘defect’ and ‘asymmetry’ as new forms of the imaginary. ‘sewing the pieces of wood together leaves me free to work more intuitively, to treat the material in its original form and to build objects where the handmade value is evident,’ shares de lucchi. 

images © luca rotondo (unless stated otherwise)

 

 

celebrating geometric imperfection and asymmetry

 

on experimenting with his new technique, de lucchi states:‘sewing wood seems like a counterintuitive idea. convention dictates that this material be glued, interlocked, and inlaid through a mechanical process to obtain perfectly matching surfaces. my new technique requires no geometric perfection. I can instead tightly connect differently shaped parts, with no clear point of contact, and create a harmonious and solid composition.’

 

‘moreover, merging wood with iron wire punctuates that imperfect aesthetic further – reminding me of ancient buildings, built with artisanal techniques that will always express the joy of hand-making,’ concludes the designer. the ‘legni cuciti’ exhibition will run between december 1, 2021, and february 12, 2022, at the antonia jannona disegni di architettura gallery. 15:30 to 19:30 monday through saturday. 

de lucchi sewed the wooden pieces with iron wire

the artworks are inspired by the traditional sewing method of inuit canoes

each sculpture brings together imperfect pieces of wood to create a harmonious body

11 never-before-seen sculptures compose part of the exhibition

sketches by michele de lucchi

 

 

 

project info: 

 

name: leigni cuciti / sewn woods

artist: michele de lucchi

location: antonia jannone disegni di architettura, milan

photography: luca rotondo

illustration: michele de lucchi