THE BEGINNINGS:
Madrid and Florence
Saúl Viñas
Working with wood has always been my passion and vocation, and fortunately I
have managed to make ornamental carving my profession.
After graduating from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Madrid, restlessness took me to Florence, where I had the opportunity to start working professionally in the ‘Bartolozzi e Maioli’ workshop, undoubtedly one of the most important traditional and artisan workshops in Italy. At first my focus was on the reconstruction of antiques and ecclesiastical pieces, and I learned a way of working typical to Italian craftsmen, in a journey that spanned from the 18th century to the present day.
During that period I took part in numerous projects, including the following:
Reproduction furniture for Silvio Berlusconi’s villa in Capri, the complete interior decoration of Hotel La Collegiata (a former convent) in San Gimignano, the very interesting participation in the call for tenders for the restoration of the Venetian theatre ‘La Fenice’, and direct participation in the reconstruction of the Kremlin halls in Moscow.
BACK TO SPAIN:
Seville
After five years of living, studying and gaining experience in Florence, I decided to return to Spain, choosing Seville as my destination. I started working as an ornamental carver in Lignus, a workshop of Fine Arts, Sculpture and Imagery, where I stayed
for more than three years.
My work at Lignus
The work I developed in Lignus consisted mainly in the creation of ornamental models, this time learning a type of carving typical to the Andalusian baroque period, and
focusing mainly on carving pieces for religious processions and ecclesiastical furniture. I participated in the creation of several pasos (religious floats bearing carved images which are carried during processions) for various hermandades , or religious guilds.
STEP BY STEP ...PIECE BY PIECE...
‘La Gubia’ Workshop and Teaching
After my time at Lignus I decided to go out on my own, alternating the development of my work as a freelance carver with teaching. For two formative years I worked as a teacher-monitor of Ornamental Carving in the ‘Cristo de la Vera Cruz’ Escuela Taller, a technical workshop in Guillena, Seville (2003-2005), and on various occasions as a teacher of specialised carving courses, including those leading to the professional Certificate of Ornamental Carving in the Escuela de Formación de Artesanos de Gelves, a training school for artisans in Gelves, Seville (2009-2014, 2020- 2024) .
In 2006 I opened my own workshop, ‘ La Gubia ’ (‘The Chisel’), in honour of the tool that has been my companion for so long.
Since then, in this artisan workshopI have carried out – individually or in collaboration with other craftsmen, such as carpenters, sculptors, turners or gilders – all kinds of work based on ornamental wood-carving,from the creation of commissioned pieces to restorations, carved frames, mouldings, sconces, furniture and other decorative objects, coffered ceilings, elements of sacred art,
moulds and hat blocks, among others.
“I seek, through the warmth of wood and through good craftsmanship, the personal touch that is disappearing in the mass-produced cold whites of globalised décor and the far-off anonymous cloud.”
