Lettera grande in luminaria

Sicily, land of legends, where life, pride, love and death merge. Where different populations intersect, where distant traditions intertwine to form new narratives. Sicily, land of oddities, between the magical and the macabre, the religious and the profane. Domenico Pellegrino exalts the island with his ancient and incredibly contemporary imagery.

Greek myths and legends, contemporary superheroes dressed in traditional Sicilian decorations, the lights of the patron saint festivals are the identifying traits of the works of the artist who lives and works in Sicily because the continuous inspiration he draws from that land gives his art greater energy.

Domenico Pellegrino, an internationally recognized artist and present in 2019 at the 58th Venice Art Biennale, believes in the synthesis between heritage and future.

His works transform the ancient into something that quickly communicates to the here and now. Through the aesthetics of his work he tries to convey the strength of the Sicilian people, its history and also its legends. The sculptures are created using classic artisan methods, they are hand painted with oil colors, taking up the gestures with which Sicilian carts were decorated, and represent contemporary references, linked to the world of comics and superheroes. The lights contain innovative and traditional elements, from hand drawing to computer and then back to the laboratory. Here the artist dedicates himself to painting, drawing with lines, dots, domes, baroque decorations, binding everything with shellac, typical of the ancient decorations on Sicilian carts.