Meet Italian Sculptor & Artisan Nino Galoppo

An Italian artist here in Williamsburg? It’s true! Gaetano “Nino” Galoppo has been crafting the most exquisite and breathtaking pieces of art for over 35 years. He caters to American tastes and trends while maintaining his skillful Italian creativity to craft masterpieces we can all enjoy!

His specialty is creating floral sculptures, which are strikingly beautiful, detailed and fascinating. Each petal, leaf and sepal are crafted to the utmost of perfection, and the colors range from soft to vibrant. Nino’s Collection of intricate, porcelain flowers and other sculptures can be found online as well as in his shop locations in Williamsburg, VA and Naples, Italy.

Where it all started… As a young boy growing up in Naples, Nino lived down the street from a porcelain shop. For hours on end, he would watch the old man that worked there create beautiful masterpieces from porcelain. The old man began to teach Nino the art and craft of porcelain sculpting, and before long he found himself in an apprenticeship at a porcelain factory. After studying and practicing the art for several years, Nino had dreams of opening his own shop.

Nino’s passion for the age-old trade of Capodimonte sculpting came to fruition in 1983 when he opened his own workshop in Naples. Two years later, he found himself in the US, staying in Williamsburg for several months. He worked his art studio at Busch Gardens the Old Country and created what was essentially the first Capodimonte shop outside of Italy.

Today, Nino and his family split time between living in Williamsburg, VA and Naples, Italy where he also runs a shop. Nino is considered an elite Master Sculptor of Capodimonte in Italy as well as here in Williamsburg. His intricately detailed flowers of porcelain are a wonder to behold!