01. About Acquafresca
ACQUAFRESCA… A NAME, A DESTINY.
The first traces of the Acquafresca family date back to the mid-17th century, to Matteo Acquafesca, an arms maker and descendant of a long line of skilled and well-reputed artisans, famed for having invented the (retrocarica).As if a subtle sign of destiny or a bit of history repeating, in the late 18th century the Acquafresca family were renowned for their skill in chiseling, producing the most refined wares of the era.
Centuries later, Fabrizio Acquafresca was born in Florence. At the age of 13, Fabrizio began working in a small goldsmith shop, quickly demonstrating standout originality and creativity. Wishing to discover new art forms and experiment with new techniques, after two years he began working in the shop of master artisan Brandimarte, where he began to learn the art of silversmithing.
There, Fabrizio learned each phase of this fine art, from fusion to welding, polishing to chiseling. And it was as a chiseller that he most excelled and best expressed his artistic vein.
In his years working with silver, on the art of chasing and repoussé to breathe life into works with chiaroscuro and the innumerable shades of gray created when light touches the surface of silver, Fabrizio Acquafresca leapt into a new phase of artistic experimentation: the world of charcoal. The materials he used were and are still always natural: wood, charcoal, and light. And with these elements he found the chiaroscuro with which he’d experimented all over again.
After 20 years of creating celebrated works in silver, Maestro Acquafresca decided to dedicate his life to teaching the arts of chasing and repoussé.
Today, Maestro Fabrizio Acquafresca creates his original works both independently and by commission, and teaches chasing and repoussé in numerous art schools in Italy, Europe and the United States.
