Giuseppe Cafforio

I am an iconographic painter with a deep love for classical figurative painting, realism, still life and the study of the human figure. I dedicate myself in particular to the study of Byzantine icons and my favourite medium is egg tempera. In my works, I draw inspiration from surrounding nature and the expressive beauty of human faces. My artistic influences span from the fascinating by the encaustic portraits found in the Fayum necropolis to the Flemish and Dutch masters of the 1600s, medieval miniatures and finally, the metaphysical paintings of Giorgio De Chirico.

The technique used for the most of my work is the egg tempera, traditional to the Byzantine era. The fundamental rule of icon painting is to use natural materials and rely exclusively on ancient methods. I prepare my own pigment tempera powder, water, white wine vinegar and egg yolk. I prefer to paint on canvas glued over a wooden base using rabbit skin glue, applying five coats of Bolognese gesso. Finally, I apply shellac varnish to protect the painting, enhance the colours and seal out the moisture. I also frequently use acrylics for specific compositions to achieve exceptionally bright and durable colours.

I graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Lecce and att...

Academy of Fine Arts, Lecce (Italy)
Bachelor of Fine Art

Group Student Exhibitions, Lecce
Academy of Fine Arts