Complementary And Complete

Since I’ve started to be interested in art, I’ve always felt compelled to create both portraits and abstract artworks. And I’ve always had the vision to be able to merge one day these two worlds, which at the same time I’ve also being feeling to be two very distinct worlds. In fact, I’ve always associated the portrait works to my Mind, which is very rational and controlling, and the abstract works to my Soul, which instead is more instinctive, creative and wild.

Because of this kind of separation within myself, I’ve struggled for many many years to find what I call an “inner agreement” between my Mind and my Soul, and therefore to be also able to paint with both Mind and Soul at the same time, and make my vision about “abstract portraits” a reality.

Until, one day in 2021, I’ve realised something that changed my view of things and my vision of myself and my life, and so also my art: that both Mind and Soul aim to the same, which is expressing themselves. And that this self expression doesn’t have to happen at the expensive of one another: actually not only Mind and Soul can express themselves at the same time, but when they actually do it, they create great synergy, which leads to a more pleasurable experience of art (and life) and more powerful and original works.

Allowing my Mind and my Soul to cooperate and work together made me finally feeling whole and complete as a human being.

The process starts in the moment I bump on the Internet into a portrait picture I somehow feel attracted to. In the moment I simply save the picture on my laptop for “later use”. Then, when it is the moment, I simply take out the picture and I digitally trace the main lines, to then copy them on a big canvas roll.

Then I just start to fill the shadows and the highlights until I can see the portrait coming together. At that point I let go and start to be more “impulsive” and random, and so start to paint the abstract part and finishing the portrait at the same time.

To lower the level of control, I usually use big brushes, sticks and all sort of tools I may find around in my garage: knowing I can’t paint too much on detail makes me relaxed and allows my creativity to unfold naturally and joyfully.

During the whole process I usually listen to some music I like and excites me.