Giuseppe Ferlito
“I started painting as a remedy for that frustration,” he explains. “To this day, I see it as therapy. It’s a way to release all the emotions I carry inside, to confront my fears, and to face my insecurities.”
Ferlito paints on a variety of surfaces—canvas, cardboard, plywood, even walls. Many of his early pieces are now untraceable, created on immovable surfaces like walls in friends’ homes, tables, and shutters. For him, the act of creating holds greater value than ownership. “I don’t follow a precise technique. When I direct a film, I rely on a team—actors, crew, collaborators—to evoke emotion. But painting is more intimate. It’s just me and the colors, which become my language.”
Much like his approach to filmmaking, Ferlito believes rules in art are meant to be broken—so long as doing so doesn’t compromise the work’s emotional impact. “To me, real artistic expression doesn’t come from obeying a set of rules or a rational process. In fact, rigid adherence can dilute the soul of a piece.”
His first public exhibition took place in 2013 at Miami’s renowned Art Basel. “I know how coveted that opportunity is for many artists. I felt lucky to have the chance to showcase my world in color, alongside such respected names.” Since then, his work has been shown in Mexico—first at the celebrated MACO fair, and later at Eva Longoria’s Global Gift Gala—as well as in London, New York, and Los Angeles, where he debuted his series of hand-painted bags.
For years, those close to him urged him to exhibit. But he hesitated—not out of self-doubt, but out of a desire for privacy. “There’s so much of me in each piece I paint. Releasing them felt like revealing parts of myself I preferred to keep hidden. I may be in the spotlight professionally, but personally, I’m quite discreet.”
Ferlito draws inspiration from dreams and subconscious impulses. He connects with Freud’s idea that creativity originates deep within the unconscious mind—a belief also embraced by surrealist artists who documented their dreams and inspirations. “Even as a child, I would instinctively capture my ideas, afraid they’d slip away. I always felt I was preserving something sacred that emerged from the dream world.”
This emotional urgency still fuels his process. “When I paint, it feels like a therapeutic session. It helps me confront whatever I’m going through in that moment. That kind of release is something I don’t always experience in cinema.”
Ferlito’s artworks have attracted the attention of collectors and celebrities alike. “It’s surreal to send a painting across the world to someone who inspired my passion for film. It’s humbling to know my work can give something back to those icons.”
He gravitates toward powerful, emotionally charged images—often risky, always honest. “When planning a film scene, my first instinct is usually a safe, standard framing. But when I look through the camera, I ask myself—am I being true to my artistic conscience? I don’t tolerate cowardice in art. I’d rather be misunderstood than compromise my vision. Creativity wouldn’t forgive me for that.”
Since 2013, Ferlito’s works have been exhibited in cities around the world, including New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Mexico City, Morelia, Paris, London, Venice, Rome, Madrid, Ibiza, Dubai, Tbilisi, and Santo Domingo.
