Jewelers, because of the care and attention with which they shape stones, gold and silver, can be considered sculptors of precious miniatures. The comparison between these two practices led one of the world’s most famous jewelry houses, Tiffany & Co., to choose to collaborate with sculptor Francesco Vullo for the windows of its Manhattan store.
It is the work “Empathy,” created in 2019 by the 28-year-old Sicilian artist that accompanies the launch of the new “Lock” collection, launched just these days in the heart of New York. A padlock with two brass profiles looking at each other, connected by the same arch, will set up the brand’s windows, representing a new stage in the history of Tiffany & Co., famous for collaborating with visionary artists and creating magical displays with a strong scenic impact.

It was the jewelry company itself that noticed Francesco Vullo’s sculpture. “I was contacted by them,” the artist recounts. “Together with the vice president and the creative team, we worked on the design of this new version, which will be used for store windows around the world.”
It is in Empathy’s birth year of 2019 that Vullo shifts his focus from conceptual illustration to sculpture, which is always accompanied by a specific message. In this case, the padlock, associated with an idea of exclusion, is transformed in the work into a symbol of connection and sharing, in which brass profiles refer to universal human profiles.