Michele Chiapperino archive

Artist Michele Chiapperino creates his etchings using the knowledge and the unhurried approach of artisans from bygone times. Armed with a graver and passion for his work, Michele adopts the centuries-old engraving techniques pioneered by the great Masters of the past. Each phase of the process, which is both ancient and complex, is carefully calibrated to obtain the desired result. Zinc sheets, which are initially polished to a mirror finish, then waxed and finally engraved, undergo the effects of nitric acid before being used to reproduce prints. Natural tree resin can then be used to create gradients and shading: when blown with a special bellows, the resin becomes a soft cloud of powder which gently falls on the zinc sheet, helping create what is known as an aquatint.
Each copy is signed and numbered, then watercoloured individually by the artist.
This is why, even though they look exactly the same, like snowflakes, no one copy is the same as another.