Refrigerator of Art Smeg & Dolce&Gabbana FAB28R-DG CR04RD

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 The decorations of this refrigerator are inspired by cart painting in the style of Paternò, in the province of Catania. The surfaces are dominated by blues and greens on a red background. The central panel features two battle scenes between the French paladins, the upper one framed by a crescent moon that echoes the form of the cart’s crossbar, the central one with motifs typical of the cassa di fuso, an elaborate decorative element of the cart. The sides are painted with motifs from the cassone, with the central part occupied by portraits of a man and woman with costumes from Sicilian folklore. The top continues the friezes of the sides.