ABOUT

Carmine Garofalo was born in Torre del Greco, Naples, in 1973.
He approached the visual arts at a very young age, attending art workshops, screen printing, and graphic design studios, and developing a strong passion for photography, which would play a fundamental role throughout his career. After graduating in Advertising Graphics, he continued his education at the Academy of Fine Arts in Naples. Between the late 1990s and early 2000s, he lived and worked in America, where he engaged with Pop Art culture, embracing its expressive tools and developing new stylistic approaches. Once in Italy, after various exhibition experiences, he developed his personal style. From here, his language took shape: the flame, which shapes, engraves, and defines each work, making it unique and unrepeatable. Equally crucial is plastic, liberated from its waste condition and transformed into a noble material, an added value that gives the work permanence.
The cartoon-inspired works featuring neon lights and burnt plexiglass represent an adventurous fusion of the playful aesthetic of comics and the technological innovation of contemporary materials. This unique combination offers a surprising visual experience, where the vibrant colors of neon intertwine with the transparency and luminosity of plexiglass, creating a kaleidoscopic and hypnotic effect.
The shapes and characters skillfully depicted by painter Garofalo become central elements of these works, reinterpreted through a filter of modernity and boldness. The neon lights, with their luminous lines, outline bold contours and play with shadows, while the burnt plexiglass, reminiscent of Alberto Burri’s concept of “combustion of matter,” adds depth and dimension to the composition, lending a sense of mystery and allure.
These works not only capture the viewer’s attention with their brilliance and originality, but also invite reflection on popular culture. These works celebrate the vitality and energy of timeless and fashionable characters, transforming them into true icons of contemporary art.
From the Joker to Superman, passing through the sensual Harley Quinn, a breath of fresh air thanks to the meticulousness of the painter Garofalo.
For two years, he has run his own studio gallery in Pietrasanta (LU) at Via Mazzini 108.