Born in Catania in 1975, Alice still lives and works in the city. She graduated in Conservazione dei Beni Culturali di Pisa and then returned to Sicily where she trained in the Maestro Domenico di Mauro in Aci Sant’Antonio, the prestigious workshop of Sicilian carts. Many years before, the paths were laid for the master and the pupil to cross: for Alice the discovery of carts came from her interest in “objets d’art” and the “roots of her family”. The two of them, together with a very small circle of artists, tell the story of a world that is now distant, but not yet lost. As the only woman amongst the very few painters of carts to inherit this age-old and complex decorative art, she studies in depth the multiple aspects of the popular artistic tradition. She draws inspiration from a personal interpretation of Sicilian folklore and its traditional themes. Alongside her production of painted furniture, paintings and everyday objects, she also works in interior design, fashion and theatre, all with a subterranean vein of irony and a touch of nostalgia.

Enamel and oil, 60 x 151 x 68.2 cm The decorations of this refrigerator take their cue from the cart painting style of the eastern part of the island, characterised by the use of bright reds, cartocci motifs (vegetal scrolls) and images of the French paladins. The latter subject became popular in Sicily thanks to the Opera dei Pupi, or puppet theatre, from which the same artists drew inspiration to decorate the sides and bed of carts. On the right side is Orlando, Count of Anglante, wearing red robes and a helmet adorned with an eagle; on the left is Rinaldo di Montalbano, with green robes and a lion on his helmet. The central panel features Saint George, protector of knights, in the act of slaying the dragon. The top is graced by a flower.