My name is Giulio Napoletano, I was born in Naples (Italy) and I am a painter, graphic artist and illustrator based in Antwerp, Belgium. I studied painting at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Antwerp. I graduated in 2018. 

Before the beginning of my experience at the Royal Academy (and also during part of the years that I spent in my artistic education) I worked in the field of geophysical exploration at sea and geotechnical analysis and reporting for the engineering and energy industry at sea. I completed my first study plan successfully in 2006 with a master degree in Environmental Sciences at the Parthenope University in Napoli.

During my years as a student at the Academy I started to show my works around Italy and Belgium (once in Strasbourg, France) in many collective exhibitions and two semi-personal expositions mostly with my friend and colleague Nieke Catteeuw. Very significant for me were, during these years, the Art History lessons and conversations with the teacher Christian Van Haesendonck. Thanks to this course I was able to shape the roots of my inspiration and focus my studies on Brut Art and Outsider artists such as Henry Darger. I was able to give my contribution during these art history lessons with end-of-the-year speeches* by introducing artists who were not well known at the academy such as Carlo Guttuso, Antonio Ligabue and HR Giger. The seminar “Guttuso, an Italian biography in painting” was also presented during an event organized by the Dante Alighieri cultural association in Antwerp in 2018 at the Klappei Cinema.

In June 2018, together with Nieke Catteeuw, I joined the street art event “Pillar 12” organized by Arno Arnouts and Stad Antwerpen. We painted a mural, that we named “Mandragora”, on a pillar under Viaduct 12 in Wilrijk (Antwerp); the work can still be seen there nowadays. During the same year, I contributed to the creation of the book “Antichton/Antiterra” written by the Italian poet and musician Graziano Moretto with a series of 13 b/w illustrations.

 In June 2020, I founded the artist collective Blackbirds’ Project, together with Nieke Catteeuw and four other ex-colleagues from the Academy.

Starting from 2021 I began to privately study linocut and artisanal printing; from 2022 I started to expose and sell my linoprints in Belgium, Holland and Italy.

During the summer of 2022, the administration of the city of Agropoli (Salerno, Italia) allowed me to organize my first personal expo at the prestigious location of the local Aragonese Castle. This event was supported and reviewed by Master Painter and Professor Antonio Morgese. 

During spring 2023, thanks to the support of the cultural association Fameus of Antwerp and the administration of the city of Antwerp, I organized the "Draw & Print" workshop to teach drawing applied to linoleography and promote the culture of artisanal printing.

As an illustrator, I worked for promotional campaigns of events organized by the cultural associations Vlaamse Fruit, De Bekooring, Dante Alighieri and Fameus Antwerpen. 

My history with the cultural association Fameus is the longest in my experience as artists; since 2020 I collaborated with the association in the organization of several events and their promotion. Since 2022 I participated to the meetings of the “Learning Network” of Fameus. This group was created to educate and give orientation to the artist who wants to approach the professional world of art and to organize events and promote the work of amateur and semi-professional artists.

Main expos

• February 2024 – Ithaka Arts Festival – group exhibition organized by the Leuven Student Loko, KU Leuven, the city of Leuven and the region of Vlaams-Brabant. Zwartzusterklooster, Leuven.

• September 2023 –“Deurne Art” – group exhibition organized by the Leo Reijnders and De Wolkenbreiers with the collaboration of the city of Antwerp and Duvel, Deurne, Antwerp.

• August 2023 – “Stampe a teatro” – personal exhibition organized by the Administration of Agropoli at Cineteatro Eduardo De Filippo, Agropoli (SA).

• June 2023 –“For Us” – group exhibition organized by the cultural association Fameus at Zomerfabiek, Antwerp.

• February 2023 –“A human heart is possible” – group exhibition organized by the Leo Reijnders and De Wolkenbreiers at the Marteen Van Blerk Gallery, Antwerp.

• September 2022 –“Defining Times” – group exhibition organized by the collective Blackbirds Project at Gallery Conscience 20, Antwerp.

• August 2022 - “Impossible Battles and Other Stories"- Aragonese Castle of Agropoli, personal exhibition organized by the Administration of Agropoli (SA), Pro-Loco, in collaboration with Master and Prof. Antonio Morgese. 

• October 2020 – “RAAK”, group exhibition organized by the cultural association Fameus in collaboration with the City of Antwerp at RAAT art center, Oudaan, Antwerp. 

• September 2020 – “A conversation about life and death”, group exhibition organized by collective Loods Des Doods in collaboration with collective Pleaseaddcolours in the Archipel arts center, Antwerp. 

• August 2020 – “GUEST 2020”, group exhibition organized by cultural association Fameus in the RAAT arts center, Oudaan, Antwerp. 

• July 2020 – “Exit Strategy”, group exhibition organized by Pleaseaddcolours collective in KOP gallery, Antwerp.

• August 2019 – “GUEST 2019”, Tique Gallery, Antwerp. 

• May 2019 – “Depression Unveiled”, group exhibition organized by cultural association Fameus in Sterckshof Castle, Deurne, Antwerp. 

• September 2018 – “In between”, exhibition for two people in MAF gallery, Antwerp. 

• July 2018 – “Pillar 12”, street art group event, Wilrijk, Antwerp. 

• August 2017 – “Beyond the light”, exhibition for two people in MAF gallery, Antwerp. • May 2016 – “Catch 22”, Antwerp Tower, organized by the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. 

• June 2013 – “Best of 350”, group exhibition dedicated to the best works presented at the expo “350” organized by the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. 

• May 2013 – “350”, festive group exhibition at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. 

• April 2013 – “Mail Art Expo”, group exhibition at Strasbourg Central Station (FR). 

• July 2012 – “Art DNA”, group exhibition at the Aragonese Castle of Agropoli.

• June 2011 – “Biennial of the Artist's Book”, Sperelliana Library of Gubbio. 

• April 2011 – “Mail Art Gubbio”, Sperelliana Library of Gubbio (ITA). 

*Seminars held at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp 

• “Guttuso, an Italian biography in painting”, October 2018 

• “H.R Giger, the birth of a dark world,” May 2016. 

• “Antonio Ligabue and the King of the Forest,” May 2015, October 2015; 

• “The Mystery of Henry Darger,” May 2014;