Emanuele Capozza

Decorative painter

Made just like Michelangelo would have

Emanuele is a painter specialised in the fresco technique
He teaches workshops to promote this ancient technique
His forefathers had a painting and sculpture workshop in Florence around 1900

Emanuele Capozza comes from a family that has been involved in art for several generations. He started out by studying architecture, and it was only after finishing his studies that he decided to make painting his profession. Today Emanuele masters many techniques, but specialises in the ancient and now almost vanished art of fresco painting. "The colours I use are the same as those used by the Great Masters, obtained from natural soils and stones. A characteristic trait of my fresco production is that I apply colour by glazing. I do not mix colours on the palette but proceed by overlapping layers," he explains. Emanuele regularly teaches fresco painting courses in art schools and in his studio, with a committed spirit to preserve and spread the technique.

Interview

Which technique do you specialise in?: The technique I master is fresco painting, a technique little used by contemporary artists but which has an ancient and local tradition. I make frescoes like Michelangelo did. I proceed ‘a giornate’, in sections: each section is prepared with fresh plaster and must be painted promptly, before the plaster dries.
How is your profession linked to the territory?: My work is closely linked to the area where I live and work. Italian and Tuscan history of art is generally full of great fresco artists. Stylistically, I am also strongly linked to the Italian-Tuscan academy. I have taken courses in academic nude, anatomy and life drawing, and a figurative style characterises my production.
What do you love the most about your craft?: My profession as a painter gives me the freedom to indulge my artistic needs. Since I did not follow regular academic training, I sometimes feel the need to perfect an aspect of my technique through study. I am free to do it by taking specific courses, such as anatomical drawing or academic nude.
How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?: I express tradition through the techniques I use, which are ancient and unchanged over the centuries. The fresco, but also egg tempera and oil painting. Innovation lies in how I apply these techniques. In recent years, there has been a revival of decoration, wall paintings, and even frescoes, which are coming back into fashion.

Emanuele Capozza is a rising star: he began his career in 2016 and he started teaching in 2017