Born in Catania in 1975, Alice still lives and works in the city. She graduated in Conservazione dei Beni Culturali di Pisa and then returned to Sicily where she trained in the Maestro Domenico di Mauro in Aci Sant’Antonio, the prestigious workshop of Sicilian carts. Many years before, the paths were laid for the master and the pupil to cross: for Alice the discovery of carts came from her interest in “objets d’art” and the “roots of her family”. The two of them, together with a very small circle of artists, tell the story of a world that is now distant, but not yet lost. As the only woman amongst the very few painters of carts to inherit this age-old and complex decorative art, she studies in depth the multiple aspects of the popular artistic tradition. She draws inspiration from a personal interpretation of Sicilian folklore and its traditional themes. Alongside her production of painted furniture, paintings and everyday objects, she also works in interior design, fashion and theatre, all with a subterranean vein of irony and a touch of nostalgia.

Enamel and acrylic, 60 x 151 x 68.2 cm This refrigerator, whose decorations evoke delightful fragrances and flavours, pays homage to the fertility and richness of Sicily. On the front panel, a woman in traditional costume is portrayed against a background of the Strait of Messina, standing between a tree heavy with lemons, fundamental ingredient in many Sicilian specialities, and a terracotta jar, traditional receptacle for oil, wine and water. Variations on the Sicilian cassata, an ancient dessert of Arab origin, are featured on the sides and the upper register of the front: a cake garnished with candied fruit, and a minnuzza di Sant’Agata framed by prickly pears. A drum, traditionally played by women, adorns the top. This refrigerator, whose decorations evoke delightful fragrances and flavours, pays homage to the fertility and richness of Sicily. On the front panel, a woman in traditional costume is portrayed against a background of the Strait of Messina, standing between a tree heavy with lemons, fundamental ingredient in many Sicilian specialities, and a terracotta jar, traditional receptacle for oil, wine and water. Variations on the Sicilian cassata, an ancient dessert of Arab origin, are featured on the sides and the upper register of the front: a cake garnished with candied fruit, and a minnuzza di Sant’Agata framed by prickly pears. A drum, traditionally played by women, adorns the top.