Giacomo Alessi in his workshop based in Caltagirone has restored the ancient dignity and renewed beauty to the art of ceramics.
From a magnificent tradition, prehistoric and Greek, medieval and Arabic, Aragonese and Renaissance, baroque and eighteenth century, enclosed in the Mediterranean, he has taken back wisdom, decorations, styles, abstractions, symbols, shapes of universal objects of use. And the breath of history has become present. Not in the artifact repetition, but in the unexpected alchemy of grace and expressive power that distinguishes the unicum.
Far from stereotypes or banal emphasis, Giacomo Alessi’s ceramic art becomes functional and harmonious design in its chosen territory: the Mediterranean Sea and Sicily.
Master of art, master of phantasmagorias, Giacomo Alessi is enrolled in the Book of Living Human Treasures established by the Region of Sicily according to the Convention for the safeguard of the Intangible Cultural Heritage approved by UNESCO. Prestigious exhibitions, from Gibellina to Paris, Palermo, Agira, Amman, London, Brussels, Algiers, have documented over the years his constant research on materials and techniques. Giacomo Alessi exhibited his works at the FuoriSalone in Milan 2011, creating the majolica covering of the Whirlpool space and at the 54th Venice Biennale. In 2016 he received the “Maestro d’Arte e Mestiere” award at the Triennale of Milan, established by the Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte, which included him in the Golden Book of Italian Artisan Excellence.
With the participation at FuoriSalone Milano 2018, in collaboration with 5VIE Art+Design, in the spirit that combines tradition and future, for the first time a space in Corso Magenta 12 has become the showcase of Giacomo Alessi’s Heritage, Design and Home Collections. A window on the Mediterranean as a creative and productive space, a crossroads of cultures and experimentations that cross the border between art and high craftsmanship. Lastly, Giacomo Alessi’s participation in Homo Faber – Crafting a more Human future (Venice, 14-30 September 2018) – an event promoted by the Michelangelo Foundation – where the “Island Plates” were exhibited in the Best of Europe section curated by Jean Blanchaert and Stefano Boeri.
