“Artisan OMA 2021” rewards talent, quality production, tradition and experience. The recognition highlights Italian companies of excellence selected by’Observatory of Arts and Crafts.
Another 97 new artisan workshops have received the Artisan Talent and Quality Production Award at Villa Bardini in Florence. A biennial award which, with this edition, has brought the number of Italian artisans part of the network to over 500 OMA Craftsmana vibrant network of shops, skills, materials and productions that preserve and renew the identity of Italian territories.
“We are honoured to be able to host this award at Villa Bardini,” states Renato Gordini, General Secretary of the Bardini and Peyron Monumental Parks Foundation, “which recognises the best talents in Italian artistic craftsmanship. With their knowledge and manual skills, they help to enhance Made in Italy, which is recognised all over the world.”.
“The OMA Artisan Award is certainly one of the most significant moments of our activity for the OMA association,” claims Luciano Barsotti, President of the OMA Association – Arts and Crafts Observatory. “My congratulations to each of the artisans in our network and a special welcome to those who have newly joined.”.
The selected OMA artisans display the OMA plaque and celebrate a craft tradition that does not belong solely to the past, but continues to live on through quality production, technical expertise, research and the ability to innovate.
The list of companies in the OMA network that have received awards from 2010 to the present day is compiled in a publication dedicated to the selected craftspeople. The creative concept was developed by Cristina Andolcetti and Michele Monasta, whilst the graphic design was carried out by Stefano Casati and Chiara Cesaraccio.
Personal considerations
Italian artistic craftsmanship represents one of the deepest roots of Made in Italy. Tradition, manual skill, expertise, creativity, interpretation and innovation are elements that have made our country recognisable throughout the world.
I am deeply proud of the presence of organisations like OMA – Observatory of Arts and Crafts, which support the culture of Italian artistic craftsmanship and give visibility to workshops, masters and skills that are often far from the spotlight.
Recognising these examples of excellence is not merely an awards ceremony: it is a cultural gesture. It means safeguarding expertise, passing on knowledge and giving value to trades that require time, experience, responsibility and continuity.
Today the biggest risk is that words like “artisanal”, “bespoke” and “Made in Italy” are used generically, losing their most authentic meaning. For this reason, I consider every project capable of cataloguing, narrating and promoting Italian workshops that truly work on quality, expertise and the traceability of know-how to be important.
Projects such as this also fall in this direction Well made, dedicated to discovering and promoting the finest Italian craftspeople.
“Everything that is worth doing is worth doing well.”
Philip Lord Chesterfield