STEFANO SANNA
The pioneer behind Metacycling Art: Stefano Sanna, he refines and refigures recycled materials, combining them with new materials to create fresh abstractions and figurative works steeped in layers of history. Stefano’s art has been appreciated by international collectors and art-lovers for more than 12 years, while his exhibitions have gained him worldwide recognition.
The artist: Stefano Sanna
Stefano Sanna was born in 1975 in Nigeria to an Italian/Sardinian father and a Swiss mother. He began his art studies in Milan in 1994, majoring in graphic art and design. Subsequently, he worked as an illustrator and comic book artist. Since 2004, he lives and works in Costa Smeralda, Sardinia.
The location: Sardinia, Italy
Located in the Mediterranean Sea between Italy and Spain, Sardinia reflects the entire cultural history of southern Europe and North Africa, revealing Roman, Arabic and French influences. For Stefano, Sardinia—particularly the north coast of the island—is his source of energy and inspiration. The island’s unique colors, rock formations, rich fauna, white beaches and emerald-colored water all serve as his source for color, form, and materials. After a heavy storm, he searches the beaches for flotsam washed up by the sea. He believes that the wooden planks and metal plates, lost by ships sailing in rough seas, tell stories which he turns into works of art.
The art: From materials to Metacycling
Stefano’s works are born from a respect for what is already beautiful and then given new life. He uses wood, canvas, paper and paint, combined with other industrial and natural materials. However, his creative process extends well beyond “recycling art.” The materials go through a special metamorphosis through Stefano’s creative refining and abstraction processes. One could assume that Stefano Sanna’s work defines a new art direction for Metacycling.
When it’s time to embark on a new art piece, Stefano begins with a concrete idea in mind that he wishes to develop with the materials. He relies on the materials’ natural reactions, such as metal rust, mold in natural objects, and the weathering of wood, copper, steel and old paper parts.
