The 2nd Festival Nazionale dell’Arte, organised by the MOICA association in Martina Franca and conceived by Lucia Torricella, falls in the year the town celebrates its seven hundredth anniversary. Almost two hundred artists, poets and writers from all over Italy take part; the works are shown in the Sale d’Avalos and the Sale degli Uccelli of the Palazzo Ducale.
Davide shows two canvases. “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” portrays Audrey Hepburn with a knowing look, in deep greys against a gold damask ground worked in relief. Beside it hangs a Padre Pio raising his eyes towards the light.
“A portrait with sharp, decisive contours, alluring and sensual as only a great Hollywood star can inspire. Working in mixed media, the painter brings such technical skill and such perfection in the use of colour that the portrait feels alive and expressive. The strokes with which he caresses the star’s face, caught in a coquettish pose straight from the script of the famous film, seem to reach into her very soul, while against the arabesque background she achieves her full visual allure. The silvery shades in Audrey’s hair and her gaze full of wonder reveal all the candour and sweetness of her singular personality. While remaining faithful to the familiar image, the artist has captured the star’s timeless beauty, translating it onto canvas with his own highly personal style and his equally personal mixed technique.”
On Sunday 23 May, at the closing evening, the jury chaired by Lucia Torricella, with among others the councillor for culture Elio Greco, Teresa Gentile and Elena Quidello, awards the prizes section by section. In innovative mixed media, first place goes to Davide, and Lucia Torricella presents him with the prize.
Second place in the same section goes to the artist Gloria Colucci, sitting next to Davide in the award room. In the rooms of the Palazzo Ducale they are joined by Morena, Davide’s sister, in front of Gloria’s “Victoria” and “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”.
The day’s certificate bears the names of the whole jury.
In the evening the festival closes with a dinner with all the artists.
Also at the dinner are the artists Edouard Tateossian and Giuseppe Cito, who that day receives the Special Honorary Prize for painting.
“Giuseppe Cito had been a friend of my grandfather Giuseppe, a painter like him, whom I never met. That evening, next to him, I felt my grandfather a little closer.”
See the work Breakfast at Tiffany’s
