Hope Dies Last Painting

My latest collection is a homage to the Sicilian cultural wonderland with inspiration stemming from Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Norman and Spanish heritages. Sicily is a brilliant mix of old and new, traditional and unexpected, therefore I am using the traditional Sicilian majolica techniques and add 24k gold features to stress and revive the beauty of this magical island. The majolica ceramics have survived for centuries and the stories they still tell us remain as vital, unique and animated as the hand painted baroque ornamentations themselves. I strongly believe that these beautiful traditions should be preserved for many generations to come. Majolica,  or maiolica, comes from the Medieval Italian word for  the Spanish island of Majorca. The Italians mistakingly thought the style was from Spain, while the technique originated in the Middle East back in the ninth century. In reality, Moorish potters took their craft to Sicily and the style gradually spread to the mainland from Santo Stefano di Camastra. Today, Sicily still has a thriving ceramics industry, centred in four main towns: Caltagirone, Santo Stefano di Camastra, Burgio and Sciacca. Sicily has an amazing history which is very often forgotten due to the infamous association with Mafia. Therefore, I have started a collaboration with an organisation called ADDIOPIZZO, which helps small businesses across Sicily, which would usually need to pay the extortion money (pizzo) to Mafia in order to be able to trade. Part of what keeps me going is to bring awareness about the current situation back home and support the activities of this brave local group. My artworks are currently in the private collections mainly in the UK, Portugal, Australia and USA.