Pasquale Gadaleta: From Brera to the Murgia Highlands

Pasquale Gadaleta (b. 1988, Terlizzi) is a painter and sculptor who left Milan after studying at the Accademia di Brera to return to his native Puglia. He now lives and works in Ruvo di Puglia in a former car showroom turned studio. His practice merges painting and sculpture, using materials like cardboard and rusted iron. Gadaleta teaches sculpture at a local art high school, introducing students to contemporary art. In 2025, he created a three-meter-tall cardboard Basilisk for the Corato Carnival, commissioned by the Compagnia del Trifone. His series 'Guardiani Celesti' (2017) features tribal-like figures painted on abandoned roadside houses in the Alta Murgia National Park, inspired by 7th-century BC geometric pottery from Herdonia. He cites the Museo Archeologico Nazionale Jatta and Ruvo Cathedral as formative influences. The interview is part of Artribune's 'Provincia Cosmica' series, exploring artists who left cities for rural life.