Gigi Mariani was born in Modena, Italy, in 1957. Fascinated by the world of goldsmithing, he began his apprenticeship in 1983 in the studio of a local goldsmith. Two years later, he opened his own independent workshop, where he developed his craft while also exploring painting as a means of freer artistic expression.

Throughout his career, Mariani sought to unite the precision of goldsmithing with the gestural energy of informal painting. This pursuit reached a turning point in 2009, when he attended a workshop on the niello technique led by Graziano Visintin and Maria Rosa Franzin. The discovery of niello became pivotal to his practice, allowing him to merge his passion for metals with the tactile, expressive power of his painterly language.

“The aspect that makes my jewels strong — and, I believe, unique — is the final texture I achieve. I create it mainly through the use of niello, a technique that immediately fascinated me and allows for maximum spontaneity, giving each piece great expressive strength. I like to make precious objects — gold and silver jewelry, the only metals I use — appear almost like iron.”

Mariani’s work reflects a constant dialogue between tradition and experimentation, preciousness and rawness, control and instinct — transforming jewelry into sculptural expressions of material emotion.