Contemporary Artists from Tuscany

Dear Friends,

Today, I would like to talk to you about a metal sculptor who lives in Montepulciano and who, for a few years already, has been creating some beautiful sculptures which I think are worth talking about in my blog about Tuscany.

Giulio Pellegrini, as the artist is called, has raised the art of sculpting to a new level, creating beautiful works of art derived from Italian comics and, by playing with light and shadows, he makes these sculptures come alive.

In order to describe what he does, I’ll translate a section of his site for you:

“Chinediferro (the name of his store) began in Montepulciano, a town that has had a central role in the project and which has been the ideal setting for this tryst between metal and ink. The project began in the Palazzo Rizzi during a comic book exhibition showing the works of the comic book artist Danijel Zezelj. During a performance, which merged live music performed by a group of avant-jazz musicians, known as the Jessica Lurie Ensemble, and live painting done by Danijel, I thought about pulling a character out from the pages of his comics and bringing it to life. I’m a blacksmith by trade, and so there was nothing more natural than to use iron, a noble and everyday material, just like how pen and paper are for the comic book artist who created these drawings. The result was a silhouette of human dimensions which cast a giant shadow on the wall…

…to be a blacksmith in Montepulciano does not only mean that you are an artisan, but also that you are in one of the most beautiful places in Tuscany where, for a variety of circumstances, art, music, and comics intersect. This means that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some of the greatest artists of Italian comic books, such as Andrea Pazienza, and even Danijel Zezelj…

…All of this allows me to change my profession without actually leaving it, and thus giving it a new lease on life, where iron and ink are mixed to create new works of art… ”

Well, friends, that’s the end of my post on this unique artist known as Giulio, and whom, if you ever go to Montepulciano, you could meet personally by visiting his shop or perhaps even finding him enjoying a glass of wine late at night with his friend, Oste, at the Acquacheta di Montepulciano, a lively restaurant known for its delicious steaks.

I hope that you found this interesting!

Kind regards,

George