During a family trip to Naples a few months ago, amidst the city's countless historical and natural treasures, I had the pleasure of discovering the permanent exhibition of Jago, one of the most celebrated and globally recognized names in Italian sculpture.

Born in 1987 in Frosinone, Italy, Jacopo Cardillo, is known professionally as Jago. He emerged as one of the most innovative sculptors of his generation, often called "the new Michelangelo," because of his combination of the traditional techniques of the Italian Renaissance with a distinctly contemporary vision.

Self portrait

Jago's artistic journey is rooted in classical craftsmanship. He works primarily in marble, a material he handles with a reverence and skill that evokes the great masters of the past. His sculptures are known for their hyper-realistic rendering of the human form, capturing both physical details and a profound emotional and psychological depth. While his work is deeply informed by tradition, Jago is a forward-thinking artist who also incorporates modern technologies, such as 3D scanning, into his creative process.

One of the defining aspects of Jago's career is his ability to engage directly with the public. Through his frequent use of videos and social media, he shares the behind-the-scenes process of his work, allowing a global audience to "virtually" enter his studio and witness the transformation of raw stone into a living sculpture. This approach has earned him a massive online following and has helped to demystify the art form, making it accessible to a new generation of art lovers.

Integrazione

His body of work addresses fundamental themes of the human condition, including vulnerability, identity, and social issues. Some of his most celebrated pieces include:

• The Veiled Son (2019): A striking sculpture of a veiled infant, inspired by Giuseppe Sammartino's 18th-century masterpiece, "The Veiled Christ." The work is a poignant and heartbreaking depiction of innocence and tragedy.
• Aiace e Cassandra (2022): The work draws on the well-known and tragic episode from Greek mythology during the Trojan War. After the Achaeans had taken Troy, the Greek hero Ajax the Lesser pursued Cassandra, the daughter of King Priam, who had sought refuge in the temple of Athena. In a sacrilegious act, Ajax dragged her from the temple and assaulted her.
• Ego Laurentius (2007): Carved from a single block of statuary marble, the sculpture depicts a hyper-realistic, severed arm and hand.
• Pietà (2021): A modern interpretation of the classic theme, this sculpture depicts a male figure holding the body of a deceased young woman, conveying a sense of raw, contemporary grief.

Ego Laurentius

Aiace e Cassandra

Jago has received numerous awards and accolades, including the Pontifical Medal at the age of 24. His works have been exhibited in major venues around the world, and in a unique and unprecedented event, his sculpture "The First Baby" was sent to the International Space Station as part of a European Space Agency mission, making him the first artist to send a marble sculpture into space. Jago's art is a testament to the enduring power of sculpture, proving that traditional techniques can be a powerful vehicle for exploring the most pressing and intimate issues of our time.

Narciso

The exhibition left me with a profound sense of awe and hope. This was heightened by the artist's decision to display his works in some of the city's most disadvantaged neighborhoods, offering a unique opportunity to the young people of the local association that manages the space, all with the hope of a brighter future for them.