Livio de Marchi – Wood

He has been described as “the world’s greatest living surrealist.” Applying ancient woodcarving techniques, Livio de Marchi creates lifelike coats, shoes, scarves and bags from stone pine, cherry and walnut, preserving the images as exquisite works of art. His sculptures are the centrepieces of many private collections all over the world, and he has been the subject of numerous documentaries in both Europe and the UK.
In his work there is a whimsical contrast between subject and material. The soft folds of cloth on a table, women’s underclothes hanging on a clothesline or the sensuous curves and mechanical detail of a full size Ferrari F50 are not the usual subjects of a wood carver. And this work, though carved from wood, is anything but wooden in the literal sense of the word.