Michela Ciappini is a sculptress and a set designer.

Graduated on set design in Bologna Art Academy, soon she started to work for various theater, tv-set production and theme parks. She worked as scenography maker for Verdi Festival Parma, Societas Raffaello Sanzio Theatre Company, Magic Land theme park, Macerata Opera Festival, Arena di Verona, Leonardo Costruzioni srl, Scene Up,etc.

There she realized big props for Opera lyrics carving foam, painting it, wood and assembled materials, always open to use all different techniques and material. The show was traveling to international theater and directed by Hugo de Hana, Zeffirelli and other well known opera and cinema directors.

She also made few sculpture prototypes in plasticine and ceramic clay, assisting and modeling for a famous Italian designer Marcantonio, and those design pieces are sold all over the world.

An other big stream of her creations consist of creating sculptures with ephemeral materials such as sand, ice and snow. For the last years she has been engaged in many international projects for events companies who realize sculptural exhibition parks and amusement events.

She has been working in various theme park enterprises around Europe, and other continents, like in the first Sand Museum in the world in To[ori Japan. She carved sand and ice in Belgium, Holland, UK , Canada, Virginia ,Colombia ,Indonesia, Italy, Latvia, Russia, Switzerland ,Andorra, Australia, Germany, Australia ,Japan etc. Big sand and Ice sculpting event permitting her to experience carving and composing in big scale, such as 12 meter x 7 as in the big wall scene in Sondervig Denmark., or Igloo Hotel in Switzerland , Andorra and Passo Del tonale Italy.

She has taken part in team-work creating a real scenography out of sand, ice and snow.

Recently she started as a performer to make live shows for special entertaining events. She carves ice on stage performing with music and spot lights. So she founded together with other 7 artists the Italian Artistic Ice academy association, which organizes and realizes ice sculptural events in Italy.

n 2020 she directed, designed and sculpted her first ice exhibition in Bellaria Italy, creating the biggest ice show at the moment in the country, with sculptures more than 2 meters high.
She consolidated experience on working with different materials, and adapting her way to operate on each project.
On a scenery atelier she applies her skill carving foam, modeling clay or plasticine, ceramic clay, concrete, wood. Michela is knowledgeable and excellent with painting, coloring and decorating props.

All her experiences lived internationally, in groups, and with all different conditions and materials, made her skills flexible and harmonious, growing the capability to join and, at the same time, be inspired always by new projects.

Some price and awards gained during the years:

• 1st solo competition Italian Ice Sculpting Gelato d’Oro Rimini 2019;
• 1st price solo ice competition Jelgava Lithuania 2017;
• sculptor choice solo-competition San Diego U.S.Sand Sculpting Challenge 2014;
• 2nd place and sculptor choice Crystal Classic sand double competition Sarasota Florida 2013;
• sculpture choice solo-competition San Diego U.S.Sand Sculpting Challenge 2013;
• 1st place double-competition Virginia Beach Neptune Festival 2012;
• 3rd place solo-competition Italy Jesolo 2012;
• 3rd place solo-competition San Diego U.S.Sand Sculpting Challenge 2012;
• 4th place solo-competition ,Latvia Jelgava “Summer sign” 2011;
• 5th place solo-competition Canada Vancouver PNE, 2010;
• 2nd place solo-competition Latvia, Jelgava “Summer Sign” 2010;
• 1rd place doubles-competition, Italy Cervia 2009;
• 1st place solo competition Lithuania 2009.