Giuseppe Gallo - Gallo - Chamberstick (2) - Bronze - Midcentury modern

GALLO, ITALY | Pair of sculptural brutalist candlesticks, Giuseppe Gallo (1970)

An exceptional matching pair of vintage sculptural candle holders, attributed to the designer Giuseppe Gallo.

The design combines the raw, tactile character of Italian Brutalism with the playful abstraction of Pop Art and Mid-Century Modern sculpture. Viewed from different angles, the intersecting structure constantly changes, making the candle holders as compelling as small works of art as they are functional objects.

The naturally aged brass surface displays a rich golden tone with dark oxidation, irregular texture and traces of its history. This authentic patina enhances the sculptural quality and should appeal to collectors who appreciate original, unrestored vintage design.

Perfect for a sophisticated Mid-Century interior, Brutalist collection, modernist sideboard, mantelpiece or dining table. Particularly desirable as a genuine matching pair.
Details

Designer: attributed to Giuseppe Gallo
Origin: Italy / European design
Date: circa 1960s–1970s
Style: Brutalist, Mid-Century Modern, Pop Art
Material: cast brass
Object type: pair of candle holders
Candle fitting: circular trays with central spikes
Quantity: two matching pieces
Dimensions: approximately 3 x 3 x 3 cm
Weight: approximately366 grams / each

Condition

Good original vintage condition with visible patina, oxidation, surface wear, small marks, and old wax or colour residue. There are irregularities and signs of age consistent with the material and manufacturing process. The candle spikes remain present. The pieces have intentionally not been polished, preserving their authentic vintage surface.

Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an essential part of the description. Candles are not included.

Background information: Giuseppe Gallo, born in Rogliano, Calabria, on 16 March 1954, is a distinguished Italian painter and sculptor.

Gallo spent his adolescence in Genoa, where he completed his secondary education. Through his father’s work as a restorer, he was introduced at an early age to historical works of art and to traditional artistic techniques. He later moved to Rome to study architecture, but eventually abandoned his academic training in order to devote himself entirely to art. In 1976, Gallo settled permanently in Rome and held his first solo exhibition at the Galleria Ferro di Cavallo. The following year, he moved into a studio in the former Pastificio Cerere factory in the San Lorenzo district, where he continues to work today. Since 2004, the building has also housed the Fondazione Pastificio Cerere, an institution dedicated to the promotion of contemporary art.

At the Pastificio Cerere, Gallo worked alongside artists including Nunzio, Bruno Ceccobelli, Gianni Dessì, Piero Pizzi Cannella, and Marco Tirelli. Their shared artistic environment led to the development of what later became known as the Nuova Scuola Romana, or the San Lorenzo School. The group gained particular recognition through the landmark exhibition Ateliers, curated by Achille Bonito Oliva in 1984.

Gallo’s international career began in 1979 with his participation in the group exhibition Europa ’79 in Stuttgart and an exhibition at Galerie Yvon Lambert in Paris. In 1986, he took part in the 11th Rome Quadriennale and was invited for the first time to exhibit at the Venice Biennale, in the section Art and Alchemy, curated by Arturo Schwarz. In 1990, he returned to the 44th Venice Biennale, entitled Dimensione futuro: L’artista e lo spazio and curated by Giovanni Carandente. On this occasion, Gallo was given an individual exhibition room within the Italian Pavilion. Since then, his work has been presented in numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout Italy and internationally.

Giuseppe Gallo’s works are represented in major public and museum collections around the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, mumok – Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig Wien, the Groninger Museum, Les Abattoirs – FRAC Occitanie Toulouse, the Fukuyama Museum of Art, Museum Art. Plus in Donaueschingen, MART – Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto, the Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Turin, CAMUSAC in Cassino, and the Parkview Green Contemporary Art Museum in Beijing.

A rare and highly decorative pair with tremendous sculptural presence—equally impressive displayed with candles or simply as autonomous design objects.