Crisu Corradi — A beauty of no experience

ABOUT

Crisu is a creator of sophisticated design sculptures, handcrafted out of old manuals and encyclopedias, that express her refined taste.

THE STORY

It started 10 years ago. We received an enormous amount of books in our house from the grandmother. Instead of throwing them out, we decided to try to figure out and make a craft out of it. I have done nothing for many years. I was a wife of someone who pays for everything. And then the children...and then nothing...it was great fun. After that there was a lack of money, no experience, no specific degrees. So I was a housewife, lots of time besides the children. It means I don’t have a professional past. I started and then my oldest daughter Anna took over and helped with the entire business side of this project. This project has happened because it was a good combination of timing, having the books, the idea, the way to promote it, and the help of the girls. It all came together in a miraculous way. Things simply clapped.

A BEAUTY OF NO EXPERIENCE

When you have no experience it’s always better. When it’s taught it’s already out there. When you think by yourself then you make something new. I was a horrible student in school, and I am a big reader, I read 3-4 times as much as those who were good at school. I like languages, many languages I like German and English and French and Portuguese and Italian of course. My school was so bad and my mother also never went to school, because my grandfather thought it was promiscuous, so she was taught at home. So, we are a generation of self-toughed people. 

A MOMENT FROM OUR DIALOGUE

THE CREATION PROCESS

These book sculptures are being crafted in the state of pure meditation, when the making becomes like a prayer. The folding is done by hand, one page at a time. By making them you have to be relaxed, you can not fold them unless you are in peace with yourself. Crisu also said, “All done slowly and without interruption, repeating each gesture thousands of times. Repetition is very good for everything. It makes the mind go. Repeated gestures are perfect to soothe your soul.”

— While making, how do you know that it is right?

—When it’s right, it’s easy because good things come easy. When it’s difficult it’s usually horrible. You have to enter a flow and then things go and if this happens then the book is nice. You have to be peaceful yourself and comfortable, don’t be interrupted, every time you lose a rhythm it is more difficult to start again.

HISTORY

— What kind of books do you use?

—Books that are meant to be read usually have very bad quality paper. So we fold vocabularies, manuals and encyclopedias, books that are more than 50 years old, we even have books that are 150 years old.

BEAUTY

— What about those lamps?

—We have just a few lamps because people always want useful things. In reality, they are sculptures and I prefer to see them as sculptures but since everybody asks ‘is this a lamp’? No, but we do a lamp. But it's totally against my spirit to have something useful. I just want beauty to look at it. Uselessness is an interesting thing.

COMMUNICATION

— How do you communicate this project?

—Major communication is the fair, people see them, touch them, and we have many returning customers and new ones every time. We promote them through Instagram. Our clients are not direct clients but mostly stores, decorators and architects, people who have a hint of intellectuality because book is still something mental. The best client has to be rich and cultivated to appreciate it, I think.

THE DREAM

— Where do you wish them to be?

I think it’s the piece that is right for a museum shop. Of course, a super museum, because I always dream high or everybody who likes books should have it in a certain way.  Because it’s something that has totally no use. I don’t even know how long they last, because it’s paper, if you burn them, they will get destroyed, unless you keep them in a box.

SUPERPOWER

I asked Crisu what is her superpower. She said, ‘My power is my hands until they last, my brain until it lasts, taking life in an easy way without taking it too seriously and God who helps everyone.’ But I felt that Crisu’s superpower is the impeccable taste, from where all creations take place.