The Enchantment of CrystaL: The Ongoing Creativity of Raffaello Nebbiai
The luminosity of crystal has been a longtime inspiration for artisan Raffaello Nebbiai these last twenty years. Be it in the form of antique chandeliers, his own whimsical overhead creations or his latest decorative pendants for the garden, he has transformed many spaces with their twinkling sparkle, form and rich colours. His travels, work and collaboration with international cliental that have taken Nebbiai beyond Italy, have fueled his imagination and been the absolute basis of his life and inspiration.
Nebbiai’s artistic career has had natural progression since the early 1990’s. He initially began as second-hand antique’s dealer in Italy working at small markets which eventually led him to France, as it was the epi-center of antique markets at the time. Nebbiai found himself travelling there many times a year, ferrying his objets de’ art between Italy and France, buying, selling and dealing which lasted over a decade.
Gradually, it was at the end of the nineties, when Nebbiai began to discover his real talent as a chandelier artisan. He began fine tuning his trade to concentrate upon the plentitude of chandeliers he found in Europe and he became inspired as he observed the different cultures and the various artistic styles he encountered. His niche market gradually began to materialize. Increasingly, he found himself learning how to restore, repair and refurbish each piece. His own creativity was spurred as he devised hand-made chandeliers, infusing his unique imagination into their antique style and incorporating his assemblage of re-purposed vintage prisms, curious artifacts and colorful pendants.
With the fall of the Twin Towers in 2001, the antique market business was transformed overnight as crisis ensued. The antique market scene in France was greatly diminished. “It is exact moments such as these, when you have to adapt,” Nebbiai admits. “You are stimulated and new solutions come to you.” As is the case for so many Italian artisans, he had to appeal to a different market and change his point of view. It was a moment when Nebbiai asked himself, “What shall I do next?”
“As one door closes and another opens,” Nebbiai explains. As fortune would have it, his particular style of bespoke chandeliers with their assortment of alluring colours and vintage pendants, caught the eye of an architect who had been visiting an antique market in Padova. He saw the uniqueness of Nebbiai’s creative potential and freshness of his artistic work. Luckily for Nebbiai, the very same architect, Bruno Jung, got him a commission to create his remarkable chandeliers for the fashion brand Diesel, who in 2000 happened to be opening their very first store in Florence. As the decade grew and their blue jeans gained celebrity status, hundreds of Diesel franchise stores sprouted up in Europe, China and throughout the world. His work blossomed as he was invited to create lighting for the franchise, supplying his hand-made chandeliers with signature style.
Throughout Nebbiai’s artistic process he has been introduced to many markets, clients and inspirations, and now in recent times it has taken on a completely new focus. He is viewing his creativity differently. “Living deep within the ambience of colours, forms, textures and illumination,” he explains, “I am at the point where I don’t have to think, ‘What is it that I want to make now?’” Rather, he is following his imagination more and more and allowing his inspiration to guide him.
His creative ideas are ever present, and his challenge is to find the beginning point as he goes in newer directions which seem to be leading him towards the beauty of the outdoors. Since 2018, Nebbiai has been venturing out towards the natural scenes of garden life. “Making new things for the garden or a terrace structure began to take form in my mind. I have so many ideas,” he smiles. “What do I want to do with these outdoor spaces? How do I transform my idea into something new?”
For his botanical inspiration, he took a literal hands-on approach in the magnificent gardens around Tuscany. Shadowing a gardener friend for six months or so to research design, garden architecture and plants, Nebbiai began schooling himself in the world of observing nature and botany. “This project has given me a rapport with the earth,” he admits. “It has amplified my stimulation for creating and has given me focus of where I want to begin.” His unique designs for the garden give the fairy-tale effect of a rich array of jewels dispersed and draped throughout the branches of a tree or when they are hanging from structures of a pergola or weaving their magic through the borders of a garden. In May of 2019, he recently showcased his garden collection with great success at the annual Artigianato A Palazzo in the famous Corsini Gardens in Florence.
Nebbiai has ridden the creative wave these last twenty years, and with his latest enchanting garden designs, he is finding a new audience in the organisers of events, weddings and important celebrations. Most importantly, he is finding a new admirer in his son. “With this new garden project, my work has caught the eye of my 20-year-old son,” he continues. “He has recently begun coming to the Florence studio and working on his own crystal project.” So with new visions bubbling into fresh creativity, Nebbiai encompasses all the endearing qualities of the artisans of Tuscany, as he continues to dedicate himself to his passion to create, hopefully inspiring the next generation to come.
