Die Holzschnitzerei Anri
 ((Deutsche Übersetzung folgt))
Anri has been carving wood-sculptures, which have become world-beloved, from precious woods for five generations. From their total familiarity with wood and its figurative characteristics comes the ability to transform this material into the most different creations of finest quality. Every piece of wood has a distinctive pattern, the characteristic of superior wood. This attribute assures that no Anri wood carving is identical with another. The sculptures are entirely hand finished by master carvers with love and precision, such as to become an unmistakeable work of art.
Each individual piece is submitted to a quality test at the end of the production cycle, which guarantees the high quality of their products.
The exclusive collections, destined for admirers in all countries, represent a real wood treasure to be preserved for the time to come.
Meister-Schnitzer und Künstler, welche für Anri arbeiten
Fini Martiner Moroder
Fini Martiner Moroder was born in the Groeden Valley in Ortisei in 1916. She attended the Art Academy and served three years in apprenticeship to become a wood sculptor. During the 1930's and 1940's she created many models for ANRI, especially children.
She has partecipated in many exposition and competitions which has led her to be one of the most famous artists in the Alps. Her personal creative style makes her work some of the most unique offerings from ANRI.
Juan Ferrandiz Castells
Born in Barcelona, poet, artist, illustrator and author of 12 children's books in Catalan and 43 in Spanish, is known as the creator of the most symbolically rich and original Christmas cards. He was, basically, a painter who wrote poetry and a poet who painted pictures.
Ferrandiz receives his basic artistic education at the Academy of Fine Arts, and was Art Professor at the Industrial University while devoting himself to the design of figurines based on his special predilection for childlike themes.
His subjects include various small animals, such as cats, dogs, mice, rabbits, squirrels, birds, lambs, always united as symbols of fraternity in harmony with the innocence of childhood. The complete opus of Ferrandiz is to create a world of love, of comprehension and of poetry where hatred is banished and where pease is the one message which unites people from all over the world.
Juan Ferrandiz died in August 1997 at the age of 79 years.
Helmut Diller
Born on October 26, 1911 in Stuttgart, Germany, during his life Helmut Diller has amassed a wealth of experience as a portraitist, landscapist and wood sculptor. Many exhibitions in Europe and the USA have featured his works.
His perfection in anatomy as well as natural poses are demonstrated in all of his creations, such as eagles, flamingos, deer, stag, antelopes, gazelles, buffalos, leopards and other animals of prey, as well as the domesticated animals, cattle and horses. Many of his works have been chosen to represent the World Wildlife Fund.
He died on December 2, 1984.
Ulrich Bernardi
Born 1925 in St. Ulrich/Groeden. As a child, Ulrich Bernardi dreamed of becoming a woodcarver, not so unusual for those born in this part of Northern Italy. There, woodcarving has been practiced as an art, with skills passed from generation to generation, for more than 300 years.
Ulrich Bernardi was inspired by his grandfather, an altar builder, and his grandmother, an ornamental wood sculptress. His talent was obvious at a very early age, and the grandparents shared their knowledge and skills with him.
Ulrich attended the Art School of St. Ulrich after leaving the primary school. Very soon his extraordinary talent became manifest. Under guidance of prof. Ludwig Moroder and Raimund Mureda he was instructed in drawing, modelling and woodcarving. After three years Ulrich Bernardi was apprenticed to a mastercarver.
During World War II, Bernardi, a deeply religious man, applied those skills by carving beautiful Madonnas and crucifixes which he gave as symbols of hope to soldiers heading to the battle fields of Europe, who never knew if at all, or how, they would return from the next action. Being woodcarver was a password for him also during the captivity.
After returning home Ulrich opened his own workshop.
Working with the house of ANRI for more than 40 years, Bernardi's religious woodcarvings have earned him a world wide reputation for finely detailed and inspirational art. Hope, contendness, cheerfulness and joy distinguish all Bernardi figurines.
"I need critique and look for it in order to further develop". From his wife he gets criticism, advice and confirmation. She has by all means the necessary requisitions, being the daughter of the well known artist Giulio Sestini, who for many years had been creating uncounted models for ANRI. Her sharp and competent eye, her intuition and professional education are a great help to him.
Ulrich Bernardi is master carver of all Sarah Kay figurines and other sculptures and nativity sets of his own designs.
Sarah Kay
A housewife in a suburb of Sidney, Australia, Sarah Kay had always been fond of drawing. She had studied at an Art Academy and at the age of 20 she had started working for an advertising agency. The designs which brought her great success, however, were made during a period of great anxiety: her little daughter, Allison, was badly ill and to distract herself, Sarah Kay began to draw. She designed happy children in a peaceful environment like the one she had known herself on her grandparents farm. One day she sold some of these designs to a greeting card publisher. The lovely, richly detailed renditions appealed the public immediately. Nowadays, Sarah Kay is known all over the world. The overwhelming success of her designs may be due to the fact that they remind people of their own childhood.
Sarah Kay's designs are magnificently converted into wooden figurines by Master Sculptor Ulrich Bernardi.
Gunter Granget
Born in Karlsruhe/Baden, Gunther Granget is considered by critics and by collectors to be one of the world’s finest living sculptors. After a carefree childhood spent in the love and affection of his family, at the age of 11 he suddenly had to grow up: the war took away his father, mother and brother. His father had taught him to love nature and to gather inspiration from it, and Gunther Granget had soon developed his interest in figurative creation. His first medium was china, a noble and fragile material obtained from earth and fire. Then he discovered another material, which warmth and naturalness enchanted him immediately: wood.
Gunther Granget has made exhibitions in famous museums and galleries all over the world. His studies led him throughout Europe, America and Africa.
As the true artist he is, Gunther Granget considers his life to be a constant development where learning is the essential part.
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Der Herstellungsprozess
1. Geeignetes Holz
Nur beste langsam und symmetrisch gewachsene Holzarten sind geeignet, z.B. Ahorn, Lindenholz, alpine Fichte, Esche und Birnbaum.
Die Trocknung muss kontrolliert ausgeführt werden, damit der Feuchtigkeits-Anteil auf zirka 10% reduziert wird.
Natürliche Freiluft-Trocknung und konrollierte Ofen-Trocknung (rechts).
2. Das erste Modell
Die Marktnachfrage bestimmt die gewählten Motive und Gestaltungen der Anri-Kreationen. Die besten Meister-Schnitzer erstellen das erste Modell.
Meister-Schnitzer Ulrich Bernardi bei der Kreation einer Figur.
3. Rohschnitt
Ein geeigneter Holzblock wird maschniell auf die groben Konturen der Figur zugeschnitten.
4. Delikate Hand-Schnitzerei
Mit sorgfältigem Einsatz von Messern und Meisseln bearbeiten Schnitzer die Figuren bis ins kleinste Detail.
Die feinen Details, welche typisch für Anri-Schnitzereien sind, werden in Handarbeit ausgeführt.
5. Bemalung von Hand
Geübte Hände bemalen mit ölhaltigen Farben die Schnitzerei, und hauchen somit den Figuren Leben ein. Spezielle, transparente ANRI-Farben machen die Schönheit der Holzstruktur sichtbar.
 Meister-Maler bei der Arbeit.
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