Our Lady of Sorrows and St. John (Mater Dolorosa, Spes Sublimis)
2025
2025
Acrylic and gold leaf on canvas.
200x270 cm
Commission for the 850th Anniversary of the foundation of the Diocese of Alessandria, Italy.
200x270 cm
Commission for the 850th Anniversary of the foundation of the Diocese of Alessandria, Italy.
Saints: popular figures in classic western imagery, traditional subjects as well as pop(ular) icons, capable of being modern through times thanks to a long lasting appeal in mass culture, often transcending their mere depictional religious value and purpose.
The whole body of work carries more in depth personal reflections and thoughts about the process of making art, the aesthetics beneath the framing of a subject, the bond between artist and his art and the relation between art (and/or the artist) and the viewer.
The Martyrdom of St. Bartholomew’s canvas
2017
2017
Acrylic and gold leaf on canvas.
60x60 cm
60x60 cm
Division of a painting’s space according to the local symbology
Montevideo, Uruguay 2019
Montevideo, Uruguay 2019
Based on the patronage of St. Philip, a defining element of the city of Montevideo (and, more generally, of Uruguay).
The straight line passing through the hand is in fact a subtle reference to the horizontality of St. Philip's cross, which is traditionally depicted sideways, contrary to the common vertical representation of the cross symbol.
As if the patron would lay a marking element into the composition, separating foreground and background of the very same picture of which he is part, such pure graphic element, a line, is set to cover the horizon point between the frontal plain surface below the hand and the background, generating a duality of feelings: on one hand acting as a neat spacial division of a picture; on the other hand, seeming to somehow disrupt the boundaries between front and back as known in figurative painting, resulting in a declaration of "art as art" (or better "painting as art"), embracing the mural's bidimensional defining trait despite the attempt of capturing real life that lies beneath the traditional ideals of figuration.
The straight line passing through the hand is in fact a subtle reference to the horizontality of St. Philip's cross, which is traditionally depicted sideways, contrary to the common vertical representation of the cross symbol.
As if the patron would lay a marking element into the composition, separating foreground and background of the very same picture of which he is part, such pure graphic element, a line, is set to cover the horizon point between the frontal plain surface below the hand and the background, generating a duality of feelings: on one hand acting as a neat spacial division of a picture; on the other hand, seeming to somehow disrupt the boundaries between front and back as known in figurative painting, resulting in a declaration of "art as art" (or better "painting as art"), embracing the mural's bidimensional defining trait despite the attempt of capturing real life that lies beneath the traditional ideals of figuration.
St. Christopher carrying the weight of proportions
Urbania, Italy 2019
Urbania, Italy 2019
St. Christopher carrying the infant Christ theme metaphorically relating to the place on which it is painted, an old building severely damaged by aerial bombings during WWII.
The sense of heavyness is here represented by Dührer's Melencolia I geometrical shape weighing on the shoulders of the figure, while his anatomical deformation is caused by the progressive contraction of a process element, such as the grid, now turned into art element.
The sense of heavyness is here represented by Dührer's Melencolia I geometrical shape weighing on the shoulders of the figure, while his anatomical deformation is caused by the progressive contraction of a process element, such as the grid, now turned into art element.
St. Rosalia aligns to center the image of Palermo
Palermo, Italy 2018
Palermo, Italy 2018
The piece features a main subject intentionally standing outside the wall framing, instead presenting the viewer a collection of items related to the symbolism of the city's main patrons from both the Christian and pre-Christian eras. The golden pot at the center carries the symbols of Saint Rosalia, St. Christina of Bolsena, St. Ninfa, St. Olivia, and St. Agatha, as seen in traditional depictions, while the crown and vase reference the Genius of Palermo, an ancient patron likely originating in the pre-Roman era.
This symbolic, tightly composed still life is set within a long vertical black space, creating a void along the edges. On a primary level, this compositional choice, together with the variety of objects depicted, evokes the “baroque” abundance at the heart of a fertile land where, over centuries, many cultures intertwined and enriched one another, making Palermo a unique example of integration and inclusiveness.
On a deeper level, the discrepancy between the subject and the steep proportions of the frame creates a tension that raises questions about art within a pre-defined space—a play, or even a struggle, with the spatial limits inherent to works created in public environments, especially on the wall of an existing building.
This symbolic, tightly composed still life is set within a long vertical black space, creating a void along the edges. On a primary level, this compositional choice, together with the variety of objects depicted, evokes the “baroque” abundance at the heart of a fertile land where, over centuries, many cultures intertwined and enriched one another, making Palermo a unique example of integration and inclusiveness.
On a deeper level, the discrepancy between the subject and the steep proportions of the frame creates a tension that raises questions about art within a pre-defined space—a play, or even a struggle, with the spatial limits inherent to works created in public environments, especially on the wall of an existing building.
The Incredulity of Saint Thomas towards Modern Art
Ravenna, Italy 2019
Ravenna, Italy 2019
Tribute to Alberto Burri’s “Grande Ferro R”, a site-specific steel sculpture made in 1990 in the city of Ravenna, Italy.
Closely located to Burri’s work, the mural consists in an adaptation of the “doubting Thomas” theme, a criticism towards the current bad state of preservation and development of the Grande Ferro and therefore criticism on how it is perceived by the local administrations, as well as among common citizens.
When it comes to modern and contemporary art in general, where the horizons of the “immediately recognizable” of figurative and still nature heavily blur, making space to conceptuality and abstraction, the aim is to arise questions regarding the definition and perception of a piece of art as such (through people’s eyes), the loss of importance of a creative act in collectivity through nullifying behaviours, which then leads to questions about weighing the responsibilities of institutions, users, viewers and citizens towards (public) art.
Closely located to Burri’s work, the mural consists in an adaptation of the “doubting Thomas” theme, a criticism towards the current bad state of preservation and development of the Grande Ferro and therefore criticism on how it is perceived by the local administrations, as well as among common citizens.
When it comes to modern and contemporary art in general, where the horizons of the “immediately recognizable” of figurative and still nature heavily blur, making space to conceptuality and abstraction, the aim is to arise questions regarding the definition and perception of a piece of art as such (through people’s eyes), the loss of importance of a creative act in collectivity through nullifying behaviours, which then leads to questions about weighing the responsibilities of institutions, users, viewers and citizens towards (public) art.
St.George slaying the Dragon
2015-2016
2015-2016
Acrylic and gold leaf on canvas.
80x120 cm
80x120 cm
The Martyrdom of Saint Lucy according to the Fifteen Minutes of Fame theory
Forlì, Italy 2019
Forlì, Italy 2019
Contrary to the traditional representation of the martyrdom of Saint Lucy, in which she is usually portrayed stabbed to death, this work focuses on a central female figure “martyred” by the strong light of an out of frame unsolicited photo flash, a metaphor of the overwhelming abundance of portraits and selfies throughout the majority of new media.
The figure covers her eyes (and face), resulting in the iconoclast nullification of Saint Lucy’s sight feature and, moreover, of her depicted image, as traditionally intended.
Additionally, the wall itself (and the environment surrounding it), when receiving a façade lift, could be considered as another metaphor of such concept.
The figure covers her eyes (and face), resulting in the iconoclast nullification of Saint Lucy’s sight feature and, moreover, of her depicted image, as traditionally intended.
Additionally, the wall itself (and the environment surrounding it), when receiving a façade lift, could be considered as another metaphor of such concept.
St. Anthony of Padua preaching to his followers
Santa Croce di Magliano, Italy 2018
Santa Croce di Magliano, Italy 2018
The work is based on a conceptual parallelism between the legend of the Saint (patron of the town) preaching to the fishes and new dynamics in the connection between art, artist and the viewer in the age of social media.
While such networks supposedly allow a more direct and quicker relationship between the abovementioned counterparts they also let new topics about the current state of art arise:
How much the perception of a work of art and the ideas beneath it can shift when filtered through the “perfectify” lenses of social media? Does this invisible filter also affect the words, the questions & answers and any type of comment occuring, eventually leading to a lack in authenticity? Do both art and viewers truly experience benefits, given the concept of ‘fast consumption’ that seems to be at the core of contemporary connecting environments?
While such networks supposedly allow a more direct and quicker relationship between the abovementioned counterparts they also let new topics about the current state of art arise:
How much the perception of a work of art and the ideas beneath it can shift when filtered through the “perfectify” lenses of social media? Does this invisible filter also affect the words, the questions & answers and any type of comment occuring, eventually leading to a lack in authenticity? Do both art and viewers truly experience benefits, given the concept of ‘fast consumption’ that seems to be at the core of contemporary connecting environments?
St. Luke drawing with his own rib
2015
2015
Acrylic, enamel and gold leaf on wood panel.
70x99 cm
70x99 cm
St. Luke drawing with his own rib
2015
2015
Acrylic, enamel and gold leaf on wood panel.
70x99 cm
70x99 cm
The Artist as Saint Roch squaring the circle on a wall in Gerocarne
Gerocarne, Italy 2016
Gerocarne, Italy 2016
Nostoi, a greek word literally meaning “(it) returns”, is the title of a poem part of the Trojan Cycle about the return home of the greek soldiers after the end of the Trojan War.
The south of Italy has always been a land conquered by different civilizations, filled with several cultures coming from distant places that blended together over the centurie so, more than any other area in my country, it has experienced the immigration/emigration phenomenon, from the soldiers living in Magna Graecia, who had to go to war in places far away from their home, to the millions of Italian citizens emigrated abroad to find better living conditions, some of which now use to come back to their native place during holidays.
My personal reflection on such land has been to conceptually link and unify two distant things, represented by the geometric task of squaring the circle, an impossible problem that philosophically aims to join earth and sky (respectively represented by a square and a circle since ancient times). The Saint Roch’s imagery works as a reminder of the place in which the painting now lies. The inhabitants of Gerocarne are in fact strictly devoted to the saint, who has always traditionally depicted with a seashell on his coat.
Nonetheless, the choice of painting a clam bound to the wrist is intentional: a common food for the fishermen and poor people of my homeland throughout the centuries, it is in fact also meant to be a symbol of my birthplace. A detail that comes with a double value, a metaphorical item linking two locations so distant by a thin, ideal line.
The south of Italy has always been a land conquered by different civilizations, filled with several cultures coming from distant places that blended together over the centurie so, more than any other area in my country, it has experienced the immigration/emigration phenomenon, from the soldiers living in Magna Graecia, who had to go to war in places far away from their home, to the millions of Italian citizens emigrated abroad to find better living conditions, some of which now use to come back to their native place during holidays.
My personal reflection on such land has been to conceptually link and unify two distant things, represented by the geometric task of squaring the circle, an impossible problem that philosophically aims to join earth and sky (respectively represented by a square and a circle since ancient times). The Saint Roch’s imagery works as a reminder of the place in which the painting now lies. The inhabitants of Gerocarne are in fact strictly devoted to the saint, who has always traditionally depicted with a seashell on his coat.
Nonetheless, the choice of painting a clam bound to the wrist is intentional: a common food for the fishermen and poor people of my homeland throughout the centuries, it is in fact also meant to be a symbol of my birthplace. A detail that comes with a double value, a metaphorical item linking two locations so distant by a thin, ideal line.
St. Peter holds the book of encryption
Viseu, Portugal 2016
Viseu, Portugal 2016
Reinterpretation of “St. Peter in his throne”, a painting by portuguese Renaissance master Grão Vasco, who was born in Viseu.
The figure casts a three gesture as chinese people do, while holding a book showing a randomly generated 128-bit WEP key password. both details are meant to be metaphors of a personal reflection on our current times and the related recent changes in geo-political and economic world balances, as well as everyday habits heavily influenced by consumer technology.
The figure casts a three gesture as chinese people do, while holding a book showing a randomly generated 128-bit WEP key password. both details are meant to be metaphors of a personal reflection on our current times and the related recent changes in geo-political and economic world balances, as well as everyday habits heavily influenced by consumer technology.
St. Anthony Seduced by The Infinite
Pesaro, Italy 2015
Pesaro, Italy 2015
The figure is here tempted by the promise of eternal life, represented by a reverse pig’s skull (the hog is in fact one of the saint’s classical symbols often depicted close to his figure).
On bottom right the latin words Ad æternum (forever).
On bottom right the latin words Ad æternum (forever).