Salvatore Sapienza was born in Catania in 1980. His passion for the decorative arts started when he was only 13 years old. His story as a decorator of Sicilian carts began by chance, when he painted an old wheel. After restoring the wheel and painting it, his father showed it to two veteran decorators. It was the beginning of a long story about art, love and craftsmanship and luckily has never ended. Salvatore began working with the decorators, Domenico Di Mauro and Antonio Zappalà, in their workshop. Di Mauro was his master and his mentor, teaching him all the tricks of the trade. He quickly fell in love with cart art and soon it blossomed into his great passion. With sacrifice and great effort, Salvatore has made over 30 Sicilian carts. Today Salvatore works in a fruit shop he took over from his grandfather 12 years ago. Who knows what he will create if in the future he finds time to indulge in his greatest passion every day.

Oil and enamel, 60 x 151 x 68.2 cm The decoration of this refrigerator refers explicitly to Sicilian cart painting: the upper part presents a symmetrical decoration featuring multicoloured arabesques (“cartocci”), which are in turn framed by the “catinella” motif, a recurring theme in Sicilian popular tradition. In the central sections of all three sides are the Paladins of France, armed and ready for battle, depicted in brilliant colours. Specifically, the front portrays the duel between Bevis of Hampton and Lucafero di Buldras. The top is painted in a brightly coloured “cartoccio” pattern.