vincenzo lo sasso's marble sculptures rekindle fascination for handcrafted

‘manual art’ blends the raw nature of metal, marble, and canvas

Renowned Italian artist Vincenzo Lo Sasso has drawn on his multidisciplinary creative background — spanning fashion, photography, and theatre — to venture into the traditional realms of oil painting and sculptures. His latest collection, titled Manual Art, poetically unites these two mediums with a goal to rekindle a fascination for manual work, particularly among the younger generation, in a time dominated by machine-driven sculpture production. By urging a step away from the ease of replication and graphic reproduction, the series blends the tactile nature of canvas, metals, and marble to create an artistic narrative that challenges artists to reconnect with the more raw aspects of creation and explore the complexities of the universe.

all images courtesy of Vincenzo Lo Sasso

vincenzo lo sasso urges return to tactile, hands-on creation

Today, Vincenzo Lo Sasso observes, the prevalent trend of automated creation of sculptures often results in replicas of past works or, at best, reproductions of graphic designs. However, with Manual Art, the multidisciplinary artist seeks to restore the intimate connection between the artist and the material, allowing for a poignant engagement with nature’s creations, shaped over millions of years. ‘Feeling the material, reading its grains, and sympathetically working with what nature has created over millions of years, provides insights and sensations that would otherwise be unattainable,’ notes Lo Sasso.

His approach thus lies in a hands-on experience of the forms he is working with to understand their essence. This tactile relationship provides insights and sensations that go beyond what machines can achieve, emphasizing the importance of imperfection in the artistic gesture. Lo Sasso additionally contends that the sensitivity, and sometimes the imperfection, encapsulated in each gesture narrates human history, steering away from the superficial and fostering a deep introspection in search for forms. It also allows for engagement with the complex universe that surrounds us, stepping out of the bubble that too often envelops us. The artist recently exhibited his sculptures at his solo show Marble, hosted at the Cathedral and Campanile of Pietrasanta in Italy, as seen in the video above.

installation at the Cathedral and Campanile of Pietrasanta in Italy