Ernest Demez comes from Ortisei in the Val Gardena valley. The valley in the Italian Dolomites has been an important center for traditional woodcarving for more than three hundred years. The artist was trained at the Val Gardena School of Woodcarving, and in addition, he himself worked here as a teacher for 27 years. From time immemorial, the sculptors of Val Gardena have focused on sacred themes (earning them the respectful nickname "carvers of the Lord God"), and Demez's studio also produced works such as a St. Martin and a St. Christina.  

Much of his work, however, is far less tradition-bound - in material (for example, plasticine and bronze are added to the wood), in choice of subject, and in imagery. Demez uses his extraordinary craftsmanship, trained in traditional carving, for an art that is entirely his own: echoes of Art Deco and Art Nouveau are far more influential than the art of the Gardena forefathers.