ADOLF VALLAZZA SCULPTURE CURATED BY COL

A hand-carved wooden sculpture (1977) by Italian sculptor Adolf Vallazza.

An abstract figure constructed from interlocking forms, sculpted from locally salvaged wood. The material is left largely untouched, bearing its weathering and past manipulations — a way to connect the past with the present.

Time can be traced through the cracks, knocks, scratches, holes, and exposed grains in the wood — part of the story Vallazza intended to portray through his pieces. A connection to the past and an homage to his ancestors, who made use of these materials long before him.

Born in Ortisei, Val Gardena — a region with a 400-year-old woodcarving tradition passed down through generations — Vallazza broke away from the religious woodcarving his region was known for. Instead, he explored his own sculptural language, influenced by folklore and mythology.

Vallazza’s work has been widely exhibited, with notable recognition from Fred Licht, curator of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, who included his sculptures in the museum’s 1998 exhibition Illuminations alongside other acclaimed sculptors, including Naum Gabo and Alberto Giacometti.

The artist’s signature is etched into the wood, and the original gallery attribution, ‘Galleria d'Arte Moderna’, is stamped on the underside.

In very good vintage condition, with some age-related wear — all in keeping with the nature of the materials and the artist’s intention.