45.15 Painting

Born 1974 in Mazara del Vallo, Italy. As a young man, he had already worked in local artists’ studios. After a stay in Venice in 1997, he studied the early 20th century masters, and was particularly drawn to the still lifes of Giorgio Morandi, depicting seemingly “simple” objects. He then spent years intensively studying painting, strongly influenced by the German romantic painter, Caspar David Friedrich, the symbolism of Max Klinger and Arnold Böcklin, and the ideas of the radical Pre-Raphaelites. After an initial extended stay in Germany in 2001, his works became more expressive and abstract, owing to his enthusiasm for Gerhard Richter. It was then that his long involvement with the topic of ‘paesaggio’, or landscape, began. This theme encompasses deserted areas as well as urban structures. Before coming full circle in 2014 when Cassarà returned to Venice and Sicily, he travelled through Europe, painting in Serbia, Slovenia, Finland, Holland and Norway. In particular, the landscape of Iceland has become a lasting influence in his works.