How has your profession evolved?
At first I used to copy other works and in Naples there are many sources (San Martino museum, private collections). This is precious to discover the secrets of the masters of the past. Later, I felt the desire to express myself, to tell stories, to transform my thoughts into an object visible to all.
How do you express creativity and innovation with such a traditional art?
The most artistic aspect consists in being a director of figures telling a story. The innovation certainly consists in introducing personal stories into the crib, a slice of life in 18th century Naples, while narrating the stories of the Nativity. There are many levels of interpretation.
What are your sources of inspiration?
Great art, painting and sculpture are an inexhaustible source: Raphael for the Virgin, Michelangelo, Leonardo, Sammartino with his Veiled Christ, Bernini's marbles and, crucial for me, Caravaggio. They are essential reference points for modelling the anatomy of the human body.
Why is Caravaggio's influence so key to you?
It was the discovery that Caravaggio's figures are cribs in themselves, and that the Neapolitan crib is Caravaggio-esque. His figures are so dramatic, and he brings great theatricality to his work. I worked on his paintings, reinterpreting the figures and quotes at the service of crib narration.