Natale alla Conca d’Oro

The bark of a Sicilian lemon tree, from Palermo’s famous Conca d’Oro, is the village of this Sicilian nativity scene. Three sheep graze on the top of a hill, the Three Wise Man with their gifts rest from their long journey, a little angel peeps out from the top of the cave while Joseph and Mary watch over the Baby Jesus. Instead of the traditional comet star, a stalk of cherry tomatoes from Pachino adorns the Christmas night. My nativities are born from the use of natural materials, poor or recycled. I have created nativities inside oyster shells, ornamental pumpkins, string nests, rudimentary huts and tree barks. The characters inside the nativities are painted on stone with acrylic color, or created using a homemade paste prepared by using cornstarch, vinyl glue and oil, called cold porcelain. They were first modeled, then dressed and painted with care and love.