Oscar Jacobson Animation Filmmaker and Illustrator from Zurich, Switzerland

I’ve always loved creating, especially drawing has always been part of my life. Throughout the years, I’ve realized I actually enjoy almost any creative activity, which has led me to expand my work to include things like painting, sculpting, and eventually animation. I always had a hard time specializing in one specific thing. Now that I’ve gotten into animation, I realized that since it involves so many different artistic disciplines, I don’t have to choose one.

While I was studying animation at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, Cornelia organized an animation workshop together with Raul Garcia and invited the animation students from my school to sign up and come to Volterra. So I, along with a group of other students, attended, and the rest fell into place organically.

It was really magical. Time just works differently there. To be able to take a step away from the stresses of daily life, and spend the most relaxing time in this parallel universe — it’s hard to describe. I found I gathered a new sensibility and perception of nature, because of being so surrounded by it, living next to the birds, bugs and plants. And all the art tools at hand to try out whatever I feel like. Especially for someone like me who has been working digitally for the biggest part of my life, it was amazing to be given the space to rediscover traditional media, and I’m really looking forward to doing more of that.

A new appreciation for traditional artistic techniques, a refreshed curiosity for trying things out, a warm sense of community, new friends — and my first wood-carving piece ever.