The Journey of Smussato: Technique and Poetics in Michela Fabeni Art, Textured Bas-Reliefs
- michelafabeni
- Dec 22, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 3
The Smussato technique is not just a gesture on the material; it is a journey through the time and space of the gesture itself. Each bas-relief is born from a hand that listens, shapes, and reveals, allowing the form to emerge without haste or force.
In Smussato, bare hands and the palette knife are complementary tools. Hands perceive every variation, relief, and irregularity; they allow the surface to be gently shaped and the gesture to become a direct listening to the material. The palette knife spreads, refines, and guides the material over larger areas, ensuring continuity and uniformity without removing the vitality of the relief.
Smussare means eliminating unwanted edges or irregularities while maintaining the natural texture. The goal is to create a balance between the material’s natural character and the definition of form, where every gesture leaves a visible but harmonious mark, capable of interacting with light and the surrounding space.
Smussare the rough edges is not just a technical gesture: it is my philosophy, an act of listening
to te material and the form. every harmonized edge becomes a bridge between light and shadow, fullness and emptyness, memory and breath. The Smussato reveals what the material holds within and allows it to emerge, never flattening it, respecting the life that every surface carries.
This journey of material and gesture accompanies each work, making it unique and recognizable, where technique and poetics merge. Smussato is not merely a style—it is a way to traverse the material, to listen to the rhythm of your gesture and of the space that hosts the work.
Discovering Smussato means entering the heart of the creative process, perceiving every choice, every nuance of light and shadow, and letting yourself be traversed by a path that is simultaneously visual, tactile, and intimate.
For information, inquiries, and insights:
michelafabeni@libero.
@michelafabeniart
Read my post on my bas-reliefs to continue the journey through light and matter
Michela Fabeni
Artist of the Third Millennium
