Ciro

Under the pseudonym of Ciro, Roberto Cipollone links his art-making to the Persian King, who was also known for the respect he showed to the peoples he conquered. “It’s a name that somehow expresses my attitude: respect for the materials that I use, for their history and innate aesthetic value”.

“La bottega di Ciro” (Ciro’s workshop), a medieval-like workshop where painting, sculpture, architecture, art and craftsmanship coexist in harmony.

“The material I use is intentionally worthless. It carries a hidden value. All I try to do is to make the object narrate all its humble untold stories.”

His pieces of art are made out of a large variety of materials, such as wool, iron, stone and fabric; because these wasted elements are the rich in life.

The point of departure of Ciro’s creations is what nature and the work of man has created. He tries to gather and reveal what the object is in itself, going beyond its original function


“The exceptional lies in the everyday. This is an aspect of beauty”
, says Ciro.

He finds inspiration for his works in discarded objects, because discarded objects have the potential to transform into something else. The artist aims to give them continuity over time, once their usefulness appears to have vanished. With delicacy and tenderness, Ciro wants to save things that would otherwise be unable to withstand the impact of consumption on their own.

In various discarded objects, the artist glimpses figures and incorporates them into his works. As he explains: the fact that they are worn brings them closer to the sensitivity of poverty.

“I would like the materials I use to have the value of bread and water for those who are hungry and thirsty. They are the simplest things, the best, the most suitable – in their essence – to fully satisfy such an authentic need” (Ciro).

The man who gives a soul to discarded objects

Roberto Cipollone, known artistically as Ciro, was born in Pescara shortly after the war, during a time when life was gradually starting anew. Due to widespread poverty, children had to make their own toys, and fishermen were forced to improvise, crafting the sails for their boats from the worn tarps of old trucks.

La Bottega di Ciro

Via Montelfi, 8
50064 – Loc. Loppiano
Incisa in Val d’Arno
Firenze – Italia
(+39) 055 8339703
info@labottegadiciro.it