Sicilian street artist Alberto Ruce has brought new life to an abandoned carpentry workshop in the Corsican village of Lozzi through his latest work for the Popularte festival. The artist is creating a striking mural that pays homage to the shepherds of Niolu region, featuring a transparent overlay technique on the building's wooden facade that reveals the weathered face of a local shepherd alongside his flock.
Ruce feels remarkably at home working in this mountain village, finding similarities between Corsica and his native Sicily despite being on a different island. Armed with sandpaper, he carefully studies the wooden facade of the former carpentry shop that has remained silent for years. "It's a material that always has something to give," he explains while examining the wood planks marked by time and human activity, never taking his eyes off the weathered surface.
The Italian artist incorporates every element of the aged wood into his artwork, from remnants of old paint to darker lines and grooves carved by decades of use. "It's part of the medium," Ruce notes about his technique. "The idea is to use these existing elements to create something new." His meticulous process combines spray paint applications with careful sanding, allowing him to create multiple nuances and bring forth strikingly realistic details, such as the iris of a ram's eye that seems to emerge from the wood itself.
The mural represents the first phase of an ambitious project that will eventually cover the entire lower section of the small building and part of the upper floor. The centerpiece features François Albertini, a shepherd from the Niolu region, accompanied by his flock. Ruce spent what he describes as "a powerful moment" with Albertini and his animals, capturing the photograph that now serves as the model for his artwork.
Ruce's artistic background includes training at fine arts workshops, and his technique demonstrates both the precision of a painter and the craftsmanship of a carpenter. This unique combination allows him to work seamlessly with the wooden medium, respecting its history while transforming it into a contemporary tribute to the pastoral traditions that remain central to the region's identity. The work serves as both an homage to the local shepherding community and a reflection of Ruce's own connection to his Mediterranean island roots.
