Akelo

Andrea Cagnetti, aka Akelo, is an Italian goldsmith, designer and sculptor, internationally known for his extremely articulated creative path supported by studies and research in various fields. He was born in 1967 in Corchiano (Viterbo), a village built on the ruins of the legendary Etruscan city of Fescennia.
Not only the place, but also his upbringing led him to fulfil his destiny: to become an artist and master goldsmith. As a teenager, he concentrated on the technologies of the ancestors, relating to metallurgy, ceramics, medicine and the working of stones, glass and textiles.
After graduating from high school, he moved to Rome, where he worked as an advertising graphic designer for a few years. Then he decided to leave the frenetic lifestyle of the big city and return to his home town, where he devoted himself exclusively to his vocation, adopting the stage name Akelo (from Acheloo, the Greek god of water).
It is a vocation that is built on glamour, travel and hectic schedules, as is often the case. Rather, it was cultivated in a monastic retreat, in the silence and peace of the Etruscan land. Just like a true Renaissance man - who wanted to isolate himself in his tiny 'workshop' - which he feels and is.

Today, his works draw inspiration from a body of studies, some from ancient and alchemic knowledge, others from contemporary scientific stimuli, and praise both classicism and the most daring abstraction. Very different from each other - confirming an eclecticism and visionary spirit rare on the contemporary art scene - they are permeated by a single aim: Beauty and Harmony. Exhibited in several national and international exhibitions in recent years, some of their works have been acquired by important museums and private collections.
He has received numerous awards from critics, scholars and the media all over the world, as well as countless publications, reviews and television appearances, which underline not only the artist's talent and stylistic originality, but also the value of his research, which has been studied in art institutes.