ARTISTIC CARVERS, COOPERS, CARPENTERS
The Passaro brothers' workshop is home to a wide range of artefacts that testify to the family's output over the course of multiple centuries: a tongue plane is even stamped with a date from long ago, 1884. And that's not all: awls, planes and adzes, a scratch gauge, a carpenter's saw and a compass all attest, like artworks, to an artisanal trade, plied through hard work, manual techniques, intelligence and creativity.
The Passaro brothers were raised with the smell of wood and with artisanal toys, breathing in the hard work of their relatives that instilled in them a love and passion for a craft that is so full of charm. Curiosity and spontaneity inspired their career choice, which involved an extremely thorough process of professional training for both. A new and more modern professional approach, which does not however abandon the traditions of the past and the teachings of their forebears.
A TREE IS FOREVER...
Man has long since encountered it along his path, and has entrusted it with his secrets, fears and desires. He has caressed the bark to declare his love, has chopped off branches for heat and shelter, has carved its best parts to create wonders. The multiple shapes created by its foliage and its trunk are works of art in and of themselves. And so, in a non-growing period during a waning moon, the choice of which tree to cut is made with absolute respect, and involves the careful selection of the tree in its habitat; this is done with the knowledge that, thanks to the nature and with some help from us, there will soon be new growth.
... SYMBOL OF LIFE
Its regeneration is certainly the most extraordinary characteristic of the tree and is a source of great peace for us. The care and effort involved in transporting it to the sawmill for cutting is nothing compared to the mystery that the tree itself represents. Stripped of its bark, its beauty is revealed in the veining enhanced by the chiaroscuro effect that has developed over the seasons and throughout the years, all of which is visible in each plank. And then the inevitable wait...when aged, the planks are selected for processing, because each one has its function.
THE ARTIST
Daniele Passaro Master craftsman
Curriculum Vitae
Born in Montella (AV) on 19/09/1970. Trained at a professional institute for industry and craft 1985/1990; specialised in wooden structural works 1990/1991; attending cabinetmaking school 1993/1995. Owner of the Artisan workshop handed down through generations, from which he inherited working techniques and professional secrets that serve as points of reference to create high quality pieces.
Designs and creates works in various styles, entirely by hand. In 2000 he created the altar of the San Francesco church in Folloni, Montella, designed by his brother Vittorio and completed in 2004. Subsequently, he created the Choir Loft in the church of the Madonna del Soccorso in Castelfranci.
Since 2005 he has collaborated with the Avellino Chamber of Commerce and has participated in exhibitions and fairs across Italy.
In 2008, he collaborated with the Confartigianato di Avellino to found the "Maestri Artigiani Irpini", Consortium of which he is vice-president.
MY PERSPECTIVE
Part of me is in my work, nothing, not even time, can erase it
Daniele Passaro