Frigoriferi d'arte

Smeg & Dolce&Gabbana

Biagio Castilletti was born in Ragusa Ibla in 1974. As the grandson of a Sicilian cart driver, he had a great admiration for carts ever since he was a child, and never missed an opportunity to draw them on every piece of paper within his reach. When he was twelve, he built his favourite toy on his own: a miniature cart which he decorated himself. As a teenager, he spent much of his time in the workshops of artisans creating carts. Here he learnt the fundamental skills that allowed him to open his own workshop in the town of Riposto, Catania. Biagio met the young Damiano Rotella in 2003, when Damiano was working as an apprentice in the workshop of Di Mauro and Zappalà, in Aci Sant’Antonio. Since then the professional lives of the two artists became entwined. Biagio, intrigued by the youngster’s initiative, started to visit Damiano’s workshop, giving him advice and support. This led to a friendship based on trust, mutual collaboration and a passion for craftsmanship, leading them to create a brand of quality and experience in 2011.

Enamel and oil, 60 x 151 x 68.2 cm This refrigerator is decorated in the Vittoria style of cart painting, typical of the eponymous village in the province of Ragusa, on the south-east of the island, which is distinguished by spontaneous brushstrokes and dark tones with a predominance of brown. The side panels are characterized by a central field, within which is depicted a dancer framed by a garland of flowers, a decoration typically applied to the bed of the cart. The door portrays a scene from “Cavalleria Rusticana”, an opera much beloved in Sicilian tradition. The decorative friezes into which it is inserted feature another motif of the Vittoria style: a geometric chain of lace adorned with rosettes and foliage. On the top is a scene of sailboats at sunset.