Manuela F’s story is one of perseverance and ingenuity. Manuela embodies the can-do spirit of the American Dream, which is the source of all of her creations as she continues to push into new territories of mixed-media art. Here at MODxMOD FURNISHINGS, we are delighted to include her work among our pieces.
Manuela hails from a coastal town in Southern Italy. She first learned to work with paint and wet clay from her father, a preeminent sculptor and professor at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze. However, instead of going towards the arts, her path took her to university to study political science. Yet, she never gave up on her dreams.
Twenty years ago, she began a successful side business making jewelry. Ten years ago, she moved to the US. Then, in 2020, the global pandemic changed everything: while working with her husband at their restaurant, they decided to keep their tables clean and disinfected by removing the tablecloths.
And that’s when the spark hit her: What if she could turn the tables themselves into art?
Manuela began painting right on all 20 dining tables and sealing them with epoxy—some table designs were created only using epoxy. She turned the ordinary into the extraordinary, and when patrons returned to dining at the restaurant, they loved the enhancements. Soon, her customers began asking to buy this art for their own homes, and Manuela saw the opportunity to return to her artistic roots by fulfilling custom orders for them.
Thematically, Manuela draws most of her inspiration from Mother Nature herself: the texture and organization of real stone, the delicate curls of flower petals, and the multitude of layers and shimmer of the ocean. She builds up layers of acrylic paint, alcohol ink, crushed glass, and metallic flakes. She is continuously experimenting with new ideas and ways to accomplish the art pieces. Each thin layer becomes sealed in epoxy resin, and her technique requires days to form and weeks to cure fully.
MODxMOD FURNISHINGS celebrates and supports artists like Manuela, who create one-of-a-kind pieces of art. You, too, can acquire her work to transform your ordinary furniture into something extraordinary.
Pieces
