Milena Gasparini
Master Mosaicist and Sculptor
"Mosaic is not just a combination of tiles, but a constant dialogue between the rigor of age-old technique and the freedom of contemporary design."
In 1996, through her artistic and design collaboration with Pierangelo Ottaviani, she founded the Laboratorio Mosaico Artistico Mondaino, transforming a passion for fine craftsmanship into a leading name in signature architecture and sacred art in Italy and abroad.
With over thirty years’ experience in the field – her first major collaborations dating back to 1986 – Milena Gasparini has steered the studio towards a constant programme of research and experimentation. Her approach is characterised by her ability to create a dialogue between traditional materials (marble, glass enamels, gold) and cutting-edge aesthetic and functional solutions for innovative wall and floor applications
Working side by side with internationally renowned architects, public institutions and leading figures in contemporary art (including Eliseo Mattiacci and Arnold Mario Dall’O), she has overseen the design and installation of large-scale site-specific mosaic works: from monumental squares and historic sanctuaries to prestigious corporate headquarters and private residences.
Today, in addition to providing artistic direction for the workshop’s major projects at its historic premises in Piazza Maggiore, Mondaino, Milena is actively involved in cultural outreach and education. Through the workshop’s school and hands-on workshops for small groups, she passes on to adults, young people and school groups the value of craftsmanship, attention to detail and the timeless charm of mosaic art.
Education
Born in Cattolica in 1963, Milena Gasparini developed her artistic vocation at an early age, first obtaining her diploma from the State Art School in Ravenna and, in 1987, graduating with top marks and honours from the Academy of Fine Arts in Ravenna, the world centre for the study of mosaics.
From the very outset, his artistic and professional work has focused on integrating mosaic art into interior design and street furniture – fields in which the ancient language of mosaic tiles takes on a contemporary, functional and monumental character.
In 1996, this vision took shape with the opening of the Laboratorio Mosaico Mondaino, founded in Mondaino (RN) together with Pierangelo Ottaviani, which became the beating heart of his production and experimentation with materials.
Teaching as a Profession
Her teaching career has included milestones of great human and academic significance: from 1993 to 1998 she led the Mosaic Workshop within the San Patrignano Community in Ospedaletto di Coriano, and over the years she has organised countless educational projects in schools of all levels.
Her presence in local sixth-form colleges – such as her role as a supply teacher for Sculpture at the Liceo Artistico Scuola del Libro in Urbino, her role in delivering enrichment programmes in Art History, Sculpture and Mosaic at the Liceo Scientifico Marconi, and teaching Visual and Sculptural Arts at the Liceo Artistico Mengaroni in Pesaro – goes hand in hand with the ongoing training programme she has run since 1996 at the Mondaino Workshop itself, where she welcomes students eager to learn the secrets of traditional and contemporary mosaic techniques.
Exhibitions and Awards
Milena Gasparini’s career has been marked by an intense exhibition programme which, since the mid-1980s, has seen her present her sculptures and mosaics in both national and international contexts. From her first major group exhibitions at the Magazzini del Sale in Cervia and the Expo Arte in Bari, her work has been showcased at prominent venues such as Rome (the Banca d’Italia Cultural Centre), Villa Torlonia in San Mauro Pascoli and the Galleria Santa Croce in Cattolica.
Her reach extended beyond national borders in 1996, the year she was invited to Alexandria in Egypt for the 2nd International Mosaic Exhibition and Conference at L’Atelier of Alexandria, before going on to exhibit at the Congress of the International Association of Contemporary Mosaic Artists (AIMC) in Ravenna in 2000. Across public spaces and private galleries, her work continues to bear witness to that delicate boundary where fine craftsmanship becomes a work of art.
View the full list of exhibitions:: 1985 – Cervia ( RA ) – Magazzini del Sale – 1985- Rimini - Kaleidoskopie – 1986 – Bari- Expo Arte sez. Scultura – 1987 – Cesena – Cafe’ Reporter – Repotr Art – 1988 - Lido di Dante (RA) Mosaico al mare 1988 – Cervia – Magazzino del Sale- Art Visual D. 1989 – Rimini – Centro Arti Visive – L’infinito turbolento 1989 – Ravenna – Mosaicum 1989 – S. Mauro Pascoli – Villa Torlonia – Arte a Corte 1990 – Roma – Centro Culturale Banca d’ Italia – Autunno Romano : riscopriamo il mosaico 1991 – Cascia (Roma) – Mostra d’arte sacra : il mosaico e l’ arte sacra 1992 – Cattolica – Galleria S. Croce – Musiva 1994 – Monbaroccio (PS) – Museo Comunale – Mosaici di Milena Gasparini e Liv Saetre 1996 – Alessandria D’Egitto – L’atelier of Alexandria –The 2nd International Mosaic Exibition and Conference 1997 - Pesaro – Libreria del Barbiere – Antiche Memorie 1999 – Mondaino (RN) – sala del Durantino – Il Quadrato Magico 2000 – Ravenna – Congresso Ass. Internazionale Mosaicisti Contemporanei – Mosaic Exibiton and Conference . 2002 – Riccione (RN) -Castello degli Agolanti – Quando l’artigianato diventa Arte- 2003- Cattolica – Art digital deco-Emmequadro Interior design. Dal 2003 al 2015 numerose altre esposizioni in spazi pubblici e privati Dal 2016 al 2020 esposizioni collettive .