Roberto Fumagalli & Mario Dossi

Fumagalli & Dossi

Plastic sculptor

Art by imitation

The company's replicas are all made out of plaster
The moulds are in silicone rubber
It can take up to one year to reproduce a large sculpture

Fumagalli & Dossi is probably the largest supplier of plaster casts in Italy for art schools. Founded in 1974, after Agostino Fumagalli and Mario Dossi took over the workshop that had belonged to their master, Cesare Bertolazzi, the company has now built an impressive collection of casts. Its catalogue lists over 500 models, including busts, friezes, statues and reliefs, all perfect replicas of original works of art. The two artisans – who were later joined in the workshop by Agostino's son, Roberto – are at the forefront of experimentation. The moulds used to produce the plaster copies are made in their own laboratories, with the help of innovative and technologically up-to-date materials.

Interview

Why do you work with plaster?: We prefer to cast in plaster rather than using other synthetic materials because of its centuries-old tradition. The ancient practice of replicating plaster casts of sculptural works is a process that requires great experience and great passion – the only way to obtain the best quality.
Roberto, you learned the craft from your father – what was that like?: I was fascinated by my father’s passion for his job. I grew up in the workshop and I never wanted to do anything else. After my studies at Brera Academy I went straight to my father’s 'bottega' as an apprentice.
In your work, how do you express tradition and innovation?: Tradition consists of faithfully reproducing the original work; innovation, for us, is the use of new materials which make it possible to achieve our goal through continuous experimentation.
Which moments stand out in your professional life?: We are proud of our collaborations with famous sculptors: Francesco Messina, Floriano Bodini, Virginio Ciminaghi, Nicola Gagliardi, Luigi Teruggi, Gualberto Rocchi, Walter Valentini, Omar Hassan and many others.

Roberto Fumagalli & Mario Dossi are expert artisans: they began their career in 1974