“I’ve never thought of my work as ritualistic, but I understand why people interpret it that way.”
Tell us a little about yourself and how you ended up in London?
After finishing high school in Milazzo, my hometown on the east coast of Sicily, I moved to Turin to study stop-motion animation. At the time, it felt like a natural way to channel my interest in objects and materiality—particularly through puppet-making. Eventually, I realized that animation wasn’t quite the right path for me. I felt the need to explore making in a more expansive and tactile form—sculpture. My grandfather was a sculptor, and I’ve always been fascinated by the potential of materials. That curiosity brought me to London, where I decided to study sculpture and pursue my artistic journey. Since 2018, I’ve been based here—I completed a BA at Camberwell College of Arts and recently graduated from the MFA program at Goldsmiths.
I was reminded of a conversation we had about the eroticism of the Catholic Church while I was watching ‘Conclave’ and the fetishization of the pomp and circumstance around church rituals in that movie.
Have you seen that film, and are there any other examples of eroticism in depictions of the Catholic Church that you find interesting?
I haven’t seen Conclave yet, but I can imagine why it’s become so talked about recently. As a queer artist who grew up in a conservative environment like Sicily, my perspective on life and sexuality has been deeply shaped by that context. I’ve always perceived a veiled sexual ambiguity in the devotional relationships between Christians and saints. You see shirtless men, their muscular bodies intertwined as they carry statues of their patron saints, or acts of Christian devotion that escalate into theatrical gestures. Sicily has always had a sense of “camp” in the way it expresses its roots and folklore to the point of raising questions about hidden desires and unspoken truths.
Following on from the above, your work has both an explicit and implicit eroticism to it – what artwork/s turn you on?
I am fascinated by shapes and volumes. Forms can be incredibly sensual—just like the human body can tease or seduce you, artworks can, too. I’ve absolutely been turned on by art in the past, and I still am at times. It’s one of the reasons I feel such a strong need to create—it’s a kind of instinctual pull that needs to be satisfied. I like working in that space where attraction slowly builds but never fully reveals itself. When an artwork has that balance, it creates a powerful connection, one that feels deeply personal and almost visceral.
Your work also feels somewhat ritualistic – do you have rituals that you stick to in your everyday life?
I’ve never thought of my work as ritualistic, but I understand why people interpret it that way. I don’t have any conscious daily rituals, but I am very precise in how I approach both the thinking and the making. Over time, I’ve developed a structured rhythm in my process, which may come across as ritual-like, even if it’s more instinctual than intentional.
You are currently on residency with the Sarabande Foundation, which has a mix of fashion designers and contemporary artists. Outside of contemporary art, what other creative practitioners inspire you (i.e fashion/music / film etc)
Sarabande is an amazing creative melting pot. Being surrounded by people from different disciplines is amazing—it opens up your thinking and expands your perspective. I’ve always been receptive to art in all its forms. As a kid, I was obsessed with music and fashion. I love the idea of cross-disciplinary collaboration—doing something unexpected and outside the box. I’ve collaborated before, including making a series of hats for a friend’s final collection at Central Saint Martins. Music also plays a huge role in my process; I almost always have a playlist on while I work or sketch.
If you were in a dream group show, who would you be exhibiting with?
Honestly, I don’t know! I tend to think about exhibitions more in terms of the overall experience than just sharing space with artists I admire. A show filled with great individual works doesn’t automatically make a great exhibition. For me, it’s about curation and, more importantly, the dialogue between works and artists. Lately, I’ve found group shows challenging for this reason. As an installation artist, my pieces are deeply connected; they form a complete environment. They need space to breathe and exist in relation to each other, which can be difficult to achieve in a group context.
What’s next for you / any exciting projects coming up?
Yes! I’m currently working on a new body of work that will be shown in my upcoming solo exhibition at Lychee One Gallery this winter. The show will feature both sculptures and wall-based pieces. I’m also preparing new work for the Sarabande Summer Show, where I’ll be exhibiting alongside the other artists in residence. Additionally, I’m collaborating once again with fashion designer Ivan Delogu on a series of accessories for his next runway show. It’s going to be a busy summer, but I’m excited to finally share what I’ve been developing over the past few months.
Lastly, who are your top 5 Italian crushes or heroes?
This is such a hard one! Here’s a list—not in order of importance, just as they came to mind:
Franco Battiato
Alberto Burri
Mario Merz
Giovanni Verga
Giuseppe Penone