During the summer of 2022 i found an interview about a seemingly ordinary man from a small village in the mountains of Trentino Alto Adige (Italy), his name was Ferruccio.
He wore simple clothes, and his expression was hardened by a lifetime of fatigue, but under his black hat were two deep and incredibly kind eyes.
During the interview, he mentioned that he loved to spend most of his time in the woods, and through nature he found the peace that our fast-paced society has lost.
I decided that I had to encounter this man, and after months of preparation, I managed to get in touch with him.
We agreed to meet in the square of his village, and I brought a bottle of Lambrusco wine produced in my area and a small charcoal study of him.
I expected him to be wary, suspicious, but instead he showed me nothing but deep and sincere gratitude.

He invited me into his home, and while he told me more about its life, I kept feeling like I was talking to a spirit of the forest, akin to what you would find in a book by J.R.R. Tolkien.
From nature, he learned every herb’s properties and how to use them to treat animals, create ointments, soups, liquor and other ancient concoctions.
From plants, he learned to be patient, resilient and perseverant.
From animals, he learned to recognize good people at first glance, and give endless kindness to those who deserved it.
And from him, I learned that none of our society’s technological advancements will ever replace the bond with nature we lost, or all the values our society has forgotten.

Composition notes: 

I wanted to depict him while he was preparing his herbs, and we chose together the objects to include in the composition.

There are some items used to weigh and grind herbs, some mushrooms and flowers he found in the woods the day before, and an amazing homemade pine liquor he made me taste, which was the equivalent of drinking from a forest.

In the background I wanted to include most of the products he made me taste,like his homemade honey, blueberry jams, a flavourful dandelion coffee, and delicious cheese with a strong primitive taste.

I also included the two gifts I brought him when we first met, a bottle of wine from my region and a small charcoal study of him.