The W Hotel in Poltu Quatu has unveiled a lobby installation that blends craftsmanship, emotion, and the deep natural beauty of Sardinia’s Gallura region. Behind this work stands an artist whose creative journey bridges decades of family tradition and a continual search for new expressive dimensions: Luca Scassellati. In this interview with the Editorial Team at Kooness, he reflects on the inspirations, challenges, and intentions that shaped the project, inviting guests to experience a piece of art as an immersion into the essence of the sea.

Kooness: Your work often begins with small sculptures. How did the process change when you moved to a large-scale mural for the W Hotel in Sardinia?

Luca Scassellati: The work for the W Hotel in Poltu Quatu was successfully completed thanks both to the experience I’ve gained over the years—creating wall installations of various shapes and sizes—and to the knowledge inherited from my father, who has been a ceramicist for almost 50 years.

K: What was it like translating your personal artistic language into a space that would be seen by so many people every day?

LS: The choice of theme and aesthetics was born from the search for a connection between the nature of the site and the spirit of those who inhabit it—an immersion into the sea, which is the essence of a holiday.

K: Do you see a connection between the intimate scale of your small sculptures and the monumental scale of the mural? How do the two speak to each other?

LS: Every piece contains an artistic expression rooted in emotional thought, independent of the scale of the work. In this case, the large dimensions invite the viewer to step inside the creative vision and experience their own emotion.

K: As a Sardinian artist, how did your local roots influence the design or feel of the mural?

LS: Living in this Gallura region is like being immersed in a dreamlike landscape. Every gesture is influenced by the beauty of every part of nature.

K: Were there any unexpected challenges or discoveries while working on such a large, commissioned project?

LS: Each new work brings with it unprecedented challenges that are overcome through passion, planning, and technical solutions specific to each creation. Every time, new boundaries are crossed, revealing knowledge both external and internal to ourselves.

K: How do you hope hotel guests or visitors will experience your work in the lobby space?

LS: Visitors were considered by imagining their perception—their need for beauty, joy, and relaxation. I hope the work can help positively shape the emotional experience of the hotel’s guests.

K: Looking forward, do you see yourself exploring more public or site-specific art, or do you prefer to remain focused on smaller, personal pieces?

LS: In my work, it is interesting to explore both public and private projects. They are two different forms of expression that, together, stimulate creativity in a complete way.