A sculptor who went out of his way to turn dead tree stumps into works of art in the city he lives in has won him national fame although his activities have sometimes resulted in minor brushes with the police.

Andrea Gandini, 22, is a professional sculptor who is bringing new life in Rome, Italy, where he locates dead trees and carves faces into the wood.

Watch his work in the video below.

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Video credit: Rumble

He started doing this as a sideline in 2013 but the activity has evolved so that it’s now his full-time job. Since that time, Andrea has managed to finish 65 tree sculptures in Rome alone.

His project is named Troncomorto which means ‘dead trunk’ in Italian. Despite the popularity of what he does, Andrea still sometimes has occasional brushes with the law.

Andrea said: “Five years ago, I started sculpting on little logs in my garage.

“Then I got the idea of making a sculpture out of a tree trunk just outside my house.

“I thought I would carve some sort of sign in it, but it ended up being an actual face.

“From that moment on, I realized my art could reach a lot more people if I did it in the streets rather than in my studio.

“I have since experienced some success, although I keep having the occasional brush with the law.

“Recently, I tried to carve on a tree stump just outside the Colosseum and immediately was told to leave by the police.”

The reason why Andrea’s project is resonating with locals is because of the poor upkeep of the public spaces in Rome. To the residents, Andrea serves as a symbol of rebellion against the city government’s seeming apathy.

Andrea said: “Rome has many ill trees that have been neglected and have to be cut down.

“When people see me working in the streets, they are surprised.

“Seeing that someone is taking care of things like this makes them hope for a better future.

“I normally carve faces because I like the idea of giving the dead tree a new identity, so that it may live on after death.

“My ambition is to make bigger and bigger pieces until I will eventually start making land art.”

 

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