free counter Marbal
Art and Environment

 

MARBAL:

MORE THAN A SCULPTOR AND MORE THAN AN ARTIST

Mario Balliana, known professionally as Marbal, was born in Casale sul Sile in 1949. His love and passion for art blossomed during his adolescence when the study of anatomy completely absorbed him and made him say: “The study of anatomy is my life”.

This is when he was still a young boy slowly discovering his full potential: at 8 years old Marbal made his first horses moulding clay just to play and have fun.

His disposition to shape materials, as well as his methodical study of techniques and materials, brought Marbal to make his first works in wrought iron and bronze.

The maestro deals with topical subjects perceiving the most hidden aspects, always delivering a message of peace and hope for humanity.

Mario Balliana, known  professionally as Marbal, was born in Casale sul Sile in 1949

 

In his religious works, Marbal manages to convey a spiritual meaning that transcends the matter, taking the prayer to a different dimension.

A different dimension

 

This is possible because, since the beginning, Marbal’s works reflect the man Marbal, his personal experience, his inner journey constantly striving for the Truth.

The search for Truth

 

In the early 70s, his innate curiosity and thirst for knowledge brought Marbal to Pietrasanta, to the stonecutters’ workshops, to study marble sculpture, and the results were impressive.

From a block of stone he can already see the finished piece of art, which he creates with his skilful chisel strokes.

The Deposition

 

Marbal’s inner journey continued in parallel with the analysis of the materials, which led the artist to woodcarving.

Dialogue

 

Marbal’s mastery can be seen in the neatness of the outlines and the precision of the shapes that seem to come to life.

During the '80s Marbal’s spiritual journey and the study of materials interwove, mixing until becoming one sole journey which led him to discover the most skilful and perfect sculptural work: nature.

The idea of carving nature captures the artist and sees its realisation in the planning and execution of his own Botanic Garden, followed by other garden creations: the project Art and Environment is thus born, whose aim is to deliver the message that humankind can find its true identity only in nature, in harmony with its rhythm and laws.

In the '90s Marbal as a sculptor was devoted to express his knowledge in the botanic sector through his artistic dimension. The results are works of art that are alive, engraved in the landscape.

Marbal goes yet further: his life is a continuous tension towards the infinite, which is reflected in his works.

Talking to sculptor Marbal today means meeting a man who has found his dimension of light and who can be himself without external conditioning. His lifestyle is based on humbleness and simplicity. Being face to face with Marbal is a unique experience that stays in your heart, perhaps because he speaks to the heart of that very Truth that every man seeks.

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