Artist, Blacksmith, Sculptor
Nicola Giovanni Battista Cuppari
The artist Nicola Cuppari, also known as Nicola Giovanni Battista Cuppari, was born in Isola di Capo Rizzuto, Calabria, on February 5, 1964. From a young age, Nicola nurtured a deep passion for life, despite the numerous challenges and hardships he faced, which left a significant mark on his growth. The divorce of his parents at the age of eight brought him closer to his paternal grandparents, developing an intimate bond with them. However, his adolescence saw him experience a sense of loneliness and abandonment due to the loss of his grandmother to illness and the estrangement of his mother.
Despite the difficulties, Nicola faced life with determination, refusing to be overwhelmed by events and embracing all the nuances of existence. After attending a two-year course in applied mechanics at a vocational school, Nicola undertook various manual and seasonal jobs, including bricklayer, farm laborer, waiter, pizza maker, and painter. Upon reaching adulthood, his father encouraged him to leave home to become strong and independent. Nicola decided to leave, seeking job opportunities more in line with his interests and aspirations. His first experience in Imola as a welder was not satisfying, but with determination, he continued in the steel industry, becoming a self-employed craftsman at 23 and working in various companies as an external worker for complex and important projects.
After five years, Nicola became an established professional and opened his workshop in Faenza, with employees under his charge. This achievement allowed him to purchase a villa in a picturesque rural area of Romagna, demonstrating the success and dedication with which he approached his artistic career.
Nicola Cuppari's journey experienced a crucial turning point when, following the insistence of friends, he attended an exhibition by the renowned artist Andrea Raccagni in Castel San Pietro. Raccagni's works captivated him to the extent of transporting him into a new and unusual inner dimension, sparking deep reflections on the power of emotions elicited by art. This episode marked the beginning of his artistic journey.
With humility and without expectations, Nicola began experimenting with iron, creating three-dimensional paintings to decorate his home. Despite a kind of jealousy towards his own masterpieces, friends visiting his villa noticed the extraordinary iron art pieces, characterized by interplays of light and shadow that created three-dimensional effects. Thanks to the encouragement and recognition of his friends, Nicola began to see the path of art as an opportunity for redemption and personal satisfaction.
In 2008, Nicola launched his personal website www.arteeferro.eu, with the help of a marketing expert who convinced him of his potential as a sculptor artist, going beyond his identity as a blacksmith. The opportunity to exhibit his three-dimensional iron paintings at the Modigliani Gallery led him to fame, drawing the attention of the famous actor George Clooney, who chose him to create a unique gazebo for his Italian villa at Villa Oleandra, on Lake Como.
Excerpt from an article published in the italian newspaper "Il Giorno"
In exchange for the tranquility and respect for the privacy he is fiercely protective of, George has transformed the beautiful but somewhat sleepy Lake Como from 'The Betrothed' into a destination for the international jet set. The star has not only brought his girlfriends here, a rite of passage through which Elisabetta Canalis, the statuesque Stacy Keibler, and Amal Alamuddin, who later became Mrs. Clooney, have passed, but most importantly, his friends: Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Bono Vox, Matt Damon, Cindy Crawford, Anna Wintour, Bill Murray, and even Barack Obama, who was a guest at Villa Oleandra in 2019 along with Michelle and their two daughters, Malia and Sasha. With friends like these, it's no surprise that George's vacations year after year have earned the covers of gossip magazines around the world. Such publicity is worth its weight in gold for Lake Como, or rather 'lake of Como', a brand that, according to experts, is worth more than that of Lombardy and in Italy is only rivaled by Costa Smeralda.
"George Clooney has been to Laglio what Brigitte Bardot was to St. Tropez or Karim Aga Khan to the Costa Smeralda," explains Mayor Roberto Pozzi. "Why Mr. Clooney decided to stay for so many years on these shores is a 'mystery' that may be attributable to the blend of poetry, colors, sounds, and magical atmospheres, not replicable elsewhere, that only his heart knows."
On the left, the gazebo made by Nicola Cuppari can be noticed.
Image source: gazzetta.it
The recognition gained from this prestigious project opened the doors to new important clients, with requests for creating gazebos for exclusive resorts, hotels in Italy, Switzerland, and Monaco. His works have also been admired at Villa Ruffelli in Ariccia, a historic and prestigious site, as well as at the Hotel Palace in Merano, frequented by notable figures like Berlusconi and Ronaldo.
Today, Nicola Cuppari continues to create unique and original artworks, experimenting with ironworking techniques that capture the observer's eye through interplays of light and shadow, conveying all the emotions hidden behind his extraordinary artistic creation. His passion for art and the constant search for new artistic expressions confirm his talent and dedication in the world of iron and steel art.