Exhibition date: March 1, 2025 – March 29, 2025
Opening: Sat, March 1, 2025
3PM Artist Talk moderated by Yujin Iris Jeong and Cynthia Penna
4-6PM Opening Reception
Shatto Gallery is pleased to announce Unrooted, an exhibition featuring the work of five Italian artists: Jeff Iorillo, Carlo Marcucci, Luigia Martelloni, Bryan Ricci, and Claudio Santini. Co-curated by Cynthia Penna and Yujin Iris Jeong, this exhibition brings together five Italian artists, each based in Los Angeles but deeply connected to their Italian roots. Through a diverse range of materials, processes, and conceptual approaches, these artists explore the themes of displacement, transformation, and the intersections between different cultural worlds.

Unrooted challenges conventional notions of belonging and identity by celebrating those who thrive in the richness of diverse experiences and cultures. In contrast to the negative connotations of being uprooted or displaced, this exhibition explores the idea of being rooted everywhere—embracing the concept of a global identity that transcends borders.
Through art, the exhibition reflects the journey of individuals who have discovered strength and purpose not in fixed roots, but in the freedom of exploring new realities. Art, in this sense, becomes a tool for expansion, offering the possibility to connect with and understand the unfamiliar. It invites us to rethink the terms “welcome” and “acceptance” as invitations to explore the unknown, fostering curiosity and growth.

Unrooted celebrates the power of art to break down boundaries—both physical and
psychological—allowing humanity to find connection and meaning across the globe. Here, identity is fluid, dynamic, and shaped by the infinite possibilities of the world around us. The exhibition affirms that art doesn’t require roots or stability; it is magic, capable of turning dreams into discovery and transformation.
The exhibition is co-curated by Cynthia Penna, Curator and Director of ART 1307, and Yujin Iris Jeong, Curator and Associate Director of Shatto Gallery. Unrooted will be on view from March 1 to March 29, with an opening reception on Saturday, March 1, from 4 to 6 p.m.
Jeff Iorillo, a painter for over 20 years, first defined his artistic voice with his signature “Action
Paintings.” Through bold, abstract compositions, Iorillo explores the dynamics of mass, momentum, and color, using plexiglass blades and brushes to create immersive, process-driven pieces that celebrate the materiality of painting. Iorillo has exhibited widely in Los Angeles and beyond, with recent solo shows at OFFUS Gallery and group exhibitions at SADE Gallery, Durden & Ray, Art Division, and others. His work has been featured in juried exhibitions at the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art, Brand Library Gallery, and Torrance Art Museum, and he has shown internationally in Japan and Italy.

Carlo Marcucci is an Italian artist based in Los Angeles, known for blending unconventional materials with diverse styles to explore social and environmental themes. A graduate of the Atlanta College of Art, his multidisciplinary approach transforms everyday objects into powerful artistic statements.
Marcucci’s work emphasizes transformation, using materials like spaghetti in his Wheatfields series or staples and paper clips in Staples to challenge perceptions of the ordinary. His art invites reflection on the relationship between the natural world, human intervention, and the materials that shape our lives. In his latest series, Holding On, Marcucci continues this exploration, using screws, wire, and other fasteners to bind paper and paint, further examining form and materiality.

Luigia Martelloni, born in Rome, Italy, and now based in Los Angeles, is a visual artist, curator, and filmmaker. Her work addresses social-political issues such as identity, memory, migration, climate change, and the refugee crisis, often exploring the relationship between nature and humanity. Using multimedia installations, found materials, painting, photography, and video, her art reflects on the traces and fragments left by our existence and the environmental impact of human activity.
Martelloni has exhibited widely, with solo shows at Museo Laboratorio d’Arte Contemporanea, Spazio Italia Gallery, and The Loft at Liz’s Gallery. Her work has been featured at the Santa Monica Museum of Art, Torrance Art Museum, and the 54th Venice Biennale. As a curator, she organized De-Fence Art during the COVID-19 lockdown and Between Two Seas, a cultural exchange project between Italy and Los Angeles. With an MFA from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma, Martelloni’s practice combines modern avant-garde aesthetics with a focus on film and photography.
Claudio Santini, born and raised in Rome, Italy, developed an early passion for photography. After graduating from the European Institute of Design in Rome, he began his career as an architectural photographer, later exploring the intersection of photography and painting through mixed media. A transformative Vipassana meditation retreat in 1992 deeply influenced his artistic journey.
In 1995, Santini moved to Los Angeles, where his work was soon featured in prominent publications such as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and Domus. He has also authored several books, including Greene is Beautiful and Panama – Architecture, Urban Art, Texture. Santini’s current work focuses on capturing a silent mental state to inspire a better humanity. His unique style continues to be showcased in both solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally.
Bryan Ricci is a contemporary painter whose work bridges the gap between landscape and abstraction. Born and raised in the Hudson River Valley, Ricci’s work investigates the intersection of abstract mark-making and landscape, using raw pigments and unconventional materials to create compositions that evoke natural environments. By blending gestural techniques with organic forms, he creates visual experiences that can be interpreted as landscapes while maintaining a distinctly abstract quality. This approach allows his paintings to convey a sense of depth and movement, balancing the familiar with the unknown.
Since earning his MFA from Otis College of Art and Design in 2012, Ricci has continued to develop his practice, exhibiting his work in galleries across the United States. He remains committed to creating art that invites viewers to engage directly, experiencing the vibrancy of color and texture in person. Ricci currently lives and works in Los Angeles.