The Marble Alchemist
Stone Symphonies.
Alchemy of history and innovation.
The Nomadic Artist
Street Sculptures.
Art that enlivens public spaces.
Evocative Draughtsman
Preliminary Sketches.
Lines that become sculpture.
Otello Scatolini: Art That Bridges Eras
Innovation and Tradition in Italian Sculpture
Born in Rome in 1964, Otello Scatolini began exploring the art of sculpture from a young age, working in his father’s marble workshop. Graduating from the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome under the guidance of renowned professors such as Emilio Greco and Venanzo Crocetti, Otello has honed his craft in an art form that merges tradition with innovation. With a career spanning over three decades, he has exhibited in prestigious galleries and contributed to significant projects, such as works commissioned by the City of Rome and the Vatican. His sculptures not only adorn both public and private spaces, but they also carry stories of culture, history, and humanity. Currently, Otello continues to inspire and teach as a marble sculpture instructor at the Schools of Arts and Crafts of the Municipality of Rome.
Otello Scatolini
Marble, the ultimate material.
Yet, contaminating its purity initially felt like violating a living being, for marble itself almost seems alive. However, deep down, I was certain of my actions. It was the right thing to do, a prelude to something great.
One day, the Great Spirit, through an old friend who is an art historian, asked me, “Why not contaminate the marble?
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Having worked exclusively with marble and gained extensive knowledge of various materials, including transparent resin, from over thirty years in set design, I decided to integrate it into the marble. The end result closely resembles water.
I find this technique particularly intriguing due to its clarity and the diverse materials I can embed within. The magic lies in how the transparent resin and the enclosed materials interact differently based on my approach, thoughts, words, and actions. Thus, the final outcome is a product of collaboration.
Sometimes, solutions and answers come unexpectedly, as if by magic, and they work, often contrary to my expectations. Yet, the results are invariably stunning.
Within the transparent resin, I can also embed water, which holds immense importance and is fundamental for its memory-retaining qualities.
In all this, the marble co-creates the reality and the artwork with its pure vibration. Long ago, artists would pray and meditate before starting their work, connecting with the divine for guidance and inspiration for new creations. This is why masterpieces were born, inspired by the divine rather than the clutter we accumulate in our subconscious.
We should follow our intuition, not our instinct, which is still tied to our reptilian brain.
It’s crucial to strive to remove our masks and not try to be this or that, or even ourselves, but rather to simply be.
The Marble Alchemist
Stone Symphonies.
Alchemy of history and innovation.
Creazione femminile
Marble and transparent resin
Creazione maschile
Marble and transparent resin
Androgino
Resin
Androgino
Resin
Sagittario
Marble
Sagittario
Marble
The Nomadic Artist
Street Sculptures.
Art that enlivens public spaces.
Madre natura
Rome
Madre natura
Rome
Assenze
Morra De Sanctis (AV)
Assenze
Morra De Sanctis (AV)
La porta dell'acqua
Rome
La porta dell'acqua
Rome
Evocative Draughtsman
Preliminary Sketches.
Lines that become sculpture.
Pensiero
Albero delle parole
Pensieri
Uovo cosmico
Preghiera
Creazione femminile
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Otello Scatolini: Curriculum Vitae
Otello Scatolini (b. 1964, Rome, lives and works in Rome)
SOLO SHOWS
GROUP SHOWS
EDUCATION AND TRAINING
SELECTED WORKS, PROJECTS, COLLABORATIONS, AND AWARDS
TEACHING, TALKS AND LECTURES
Otello Scatolini
Otello Scatolini was born in Rome on 21 March 1964. At the age of 11, he began learning the art of marble sculpture in his father Livio’s workshop.
He studied sculpture with Professors Emilio Greco and Venanzo Crocetti at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, graduating in 1984.
In 1995 he had his first solo exhibition of sculptures and drawings at the Bryner gallery in Milan. In 1995, at the il Cedro gallery in Rome, he inaugurated his solo exhibition of sculptures, drawings, and engravings.
For the project Cento piazze a Roma (One hundred squares in Rome) organised by the Municipality of Rome he designed and created La Porta dell’Acqua and Madre Natura, followed by l’Anima, Dio, and Resurrezione for the Prima Porta cemetery.
From 1992 to 1998 he collaborated with Enzo Cucchi, Francesco Clemente, and Mario Schifano who influenced his artistic production.
On the occasion of the Great Jubilee in 2000, he designed and created the Urna di San Paolo, a bronze urn commissioned by the Vatican for the closing of the Holy Door of the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls marking the end of the Jubilee year.
Otello Scatolini has shown his work in several major exhibitions such as the group show Sottosopra with Sandro Trotti at La Tartaruga gallery, the Biennale of Sacred Art Rome – Carmona (SP), Sagome 547 at the Via Nazionale in Rome underpass, Creativi frammenti at the former paper mill in Via Appia in Rome, Inchiostro indelebile Rome – New York – Miami, Falce e martello, simboli di ferro at the Gallery of Modern Art in L’Aquila.
In 2008 he was elected President of the Università dei Marmorari di Roma, a prestigious corporation founded in 1409 of which he is currently vice-president.
In 2012 he showcased his solo exhibition of sculptures and drawings at the Scuderie Aldobrandini in Frascati.
In 2015 he started teaching marble sculpture courses at the Scuole di Arti e Mestieri del Comune di Roma (Schools of Arts and Crafts of the Municipality of Rome) – a position he still holds – and in the same year he designed and created the Monumento ai Migranti (Monument to Migrants) for the Municipality of Morra de Sanctis (AV).
In February 2018 he designed and created a marble sculpture for the Keyline S.p.a advertising campaign, and featured in the promotional video Keyline, the art of duplication.
In August 2018 he took part as a guest of honour and a judge in the Foshan Biennial of Contemporary Art in China.
In May 2020 he unveiled the Porta della Bellezza, an urban sculpture dedicated to Desirée Mariottini and to all women victims of gender-based violence.
In May and June 2022, he had a solo show of sculptures and drawings at the Italian Historical Institute for the Middle Ages in Rome. From 21 October to 30 December in the same year, he exhibited his work in a solo show of sculptures and drawings at the Eustachio Pisani gallery of the Municipality of Isola del Liri (FR) as part of the local Festival delle Arti. From 23 October to 3 November 2023, he participated in the group show 152, Master of Arts and Crafts from the schools of the Municipality of Rome.
Websites:
www.otelloscatolini.com
www.scatolini-sculture.it
Instagram:
@otelloscatoliniscult