I discovered Ditta Russo in 2018, when, after starting work on the gallery in Naples, I was looking for two very basic, small travertine tables for the residence, the space in the gallery where we host our artists. And that is how I first met, amidst the picturesque little lanes of via Bisignano, the Russo family, which has been working with clients all over the globe for four generations, expertly navigating the world of marble and maintaining one of Italy’s most cherished traditions to a high standard, handling the classic and the contemporary with equal skill. One year later, we again turned to this extraordinary artisan business, founded in 1860, for the restoration of three marble knots by the artist Lynda Benglis for her exhibition in December 2019.

Reinforcing my high opinion of them from our previous experience, Ditta Russo ably restored the three fragile works. What has always fascinated me about this business, besides their magnificent technical expertise, is the affection that each artisan develops for the objects, artworks and furnishings that they work with every day. Every piece of marble that enters the workshop remains etched in the memory and the hands of those who worked on it. A depository of an ancient technique passed down over generations, Ditta Russo is a superlative Italian business worth of note.