World famous for his ceramics, Giacomo Alessi has won international recognition culminating in receiving a Knighthood of the Italian Republic in 2007, being included in the the book of Living Human Treasures of the UNESCO Register of Intangible Heritage for Sicily, and exhibiting at the Venice Biennale and the Palermo Archeological Museum.


"Alessi's ceramics represent the best quality Sicilian terracotta from the town of Caltagirone, where the tradition goes back thousands of years. Along with his hand crafted production - famous throughout the world - Giacomo Alessi has also been producing one-off works for his own private collection that are rarely exhibited. I met Giacomo at his workshop and was immediately impressed by what I saw. Much to my delight, he granted me the rare privilege of inviting me to see his private collection which he had stored in a big flat he uses for the sole purpose of warehousing his unique pieces. When I entered the flat, I was bowled over by what I saw: hundreds of pieces, hanging on the walls, displayed on shelves and pedestals -strewn across the floor - in every room, including the kitchen and the bathrooms! It took me almost two hours to see every piece, and at the end of which I felt exhilarated by the richness of colour , the unusual forms and shapes and the creative energy expressed in original themes. His personal attachment to each piece was also very touching. Knowing that it was a long shot, I asked Giacomo if he would ever consider exhibiting in London and was delighted when he came back to me with his answer – in the affirmative. We are thrilled to offer these works for the first time."

Alessi's work celebrates a glorious past joined to the present through a deep understanding of Caltagirone’s millennial tradition of terracotta ware whilst going for its radical renewal. Alessi plots a course towards a richly promising future with his keen and attentive gaze, “The razor-sharp blade of his cultural superiority”.

Featured in some of the most important exhibitions of ceramics at the national and international level, he was made a knight of the Italian Republic in 2007. He is also a signatory of the “Manifesto for the Applied Arts of the New Century” and included in the book of Living Human Treasures of the UNESCO Register of Intangible Heritage for Sicily.

His work was displayed at the Venice Biennale this year and the Palermo Archeological Museum.