Massimo Mattana and the workshop of cork

The most important award that an artisan can receive is the purchase of his products by customers; it is the appreciation of his creations by buyers; it is the image of ladies’ eyes that shine when they see a thing that makes them be crazy. They are not the official recognitions or plaques that create satisfaction for the artist, but, on the contrary, the continuous inflow of people who want the thing produced by that artisan.


Massimo Mattana creates cork works of art that are loved by lots of people. The biggest pleasure comes from the great interest that can be identified by who buy goods presented by the artisan. Knowing that initially cork was not a particularly appreciated, above all in a small village like Assemini, where other artisan activities prevail, and verify that, then, the entourage of customers has been growing up, becomes a beautiful personal and professional gratification, that incites to work more and more for guaranteeing an avant-garde product and for obtaining an enormous success. People’s idea is linked to fashion and not to the tradition of own land. Massimo Mattana could melt these two features in different sets of samples that recall both the culture and the origin of the Island and the current trends.


Born in 1995, the Massimo Mattana’s Workshop of cork became an important firm known by a lot of people. When he was nineteen years old, this artisan lost his job because the company, where he worked, was closed. The luck into the misfortune pushed him towards his father’s hobby. During the first years, it was a "rescue job", because, in the absence of other, that was the only lifeline. Then it was a true passion and determination increased. Certainly, firstly, there were the first difficulties, because the very young age of this boy did not give faith to customers. Moreover, a not insignificant enemy was competition, not in the cork field, because there is not a big number of artists who are involved to that, but, on the contrary, generally in the craft field.

Gradually, people learnt to know the production of cork too. The first proposal of sale presented by Massimo Mattana gathered together both cork things and things realized through other materials, linked mainly to the range of typical souvenir. The next proposal gave space to products of different role: bags, accessories, pochettes, diaries, cases for tablet, samples for cooking, furniture accessories – poufs, lamps, pillows.


Watching people who are charmed by the effect that the light of a lamp can do or who open wide their eyes when they see bags or particular furniture accessories, makes Massimo Mattana rejoice who, amazed, asserts: «Cork is loved above all to Sardinian girls ». Fashion dominates, as they demonstrate the requests done also by shops present in other towns of Italy, about bags and accessories realized by the Sardinian artisan.
There are not particular techniques in the manufacturing of cork, but only manual skill and fantasy. The only method accepted is that concerned the production of new samples.


Indeed, for avoiding to decrease the sales, he tries to update and to adapt to the requests of market. He involves for a whole month to the experimentation and to the production of new things, informing himself about the kind of products that are in fashion every years. The point of sale that is present in the seaside area is a test subject for verifying if the sample proposed is loved or not.


Massimo Mattana does not like advertisement. He prefers simplicity and modesty. The importance is given to the natural and innovative product. The artist has the originality and the exclusive about the material. The product is realized only for his firm. Style is unique. Massimo Mattana is the first maker of these materials in Sardinia. He offers an artisan product with an industry and competitive price.