In the Roman rooms of her childhood, Osanna Visconti marveled at the paintings hung on her walls from the likes of Fontana, Cascella, Man Ray, Schifano and Santomaso. Abstract geometric art also predominated her mother’s style – she preferred signature pieces designed for her by Magnelli and Ceroli rather than classic jewelry. Her passion for all things precious was kindled early in her life. After studying at the Academy of Jewels in Rome and the Gemological Institute of America in New York, Visconti returned to Rome, where in a basement workshop in Via Giulia she discovered the volcanic magnetism of cera persa (lost wax) casting. It was love at first sight. With the concert of time and life, her expertise of jewels gave way to unique visions of more sizable objects and home furnishings. Starting at first with small scale candleholders and decorative boxes, she worked up to stools, vases and lamps. Ultimately, she came to craft the immense creations she is known for, including tables, armchairs, mirrors, room dividers and bookshelves. Nature is her unremitting source of inspiration. “In the quietude of a walk in the woods, my attention is captured by a leaf, a fallen branch. One out of hundreds. I select and collect it. It’s a gift from nature that I celebrate through my creative spirit and then freeze in time, transforming it into a piece of bronze. Yes, what I love most about my work is the sense of eternity, immortality.” Visconti sits at her workbench, surrounded by wax sheets and countless tools. She lights the fire, rips pieces of wax and starts warming and delicately sculpting them. From jagged edges and shifting surfaces – at times wavy, other times striped – the object she has in mind slowly takes shape. At long last, it becomes the plaster mold, the defining element to be cast in bronze. Visconti is both an artisan and an artist. She fuses art and technique, beauty and function. “I am not a sculptor nor an industrial designer, even though I share their approach and quest for function with design. I create useful pieces that span beyond space and time, pieces I myself would love to own and share with others every day.” Visconti has participated in Salone del Mobile, PAD London, Fog San Francisco and NOMAD.