A painter and printmaker, Calandri trained at the Liceo Artistico in Florence and the Accademia Albertina in Turin, under the guidance of Cesare Maggi, a painter who would later become his assistant, and Marcello Boglione, an engraver who would become his assistant after the war. In his printmaking, he favored the use of etching and aquatint techniques. The artist's seemingly ordinary subjects, immersed in a poetic world, are transformed into symbolic elements with a strong human value. He printed both independently and at print shops. His first graphic exhibition was in 1939, at the Mostra degli Istituti di Istruzione Artistica (Art Education Institutes) held at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome. From the 1950s, his etchings took precedence over his paintings. This decade was marked by numerous trips to Europe and America, where he participated in numerous exhibitions. In the 1970s, he created book illustrations, including Ben Jonson's "Il Volpone" for the Foglio brothers of Turin. In 1956, he was appointed professor of engraving at the Accademia Albertina, succeeding his mentor Boglione, a position he held until his retirement in 1977. In 1959, he held his first solo exhibition at the Centro Culturale Bronzetti in Trento. Throughout his career, he has participated in various art biennials and quadrennials, as well as numerous other national and international events.