Xuan paper, Chinese ink
100x76 2020

Tapian (拓片, frottage, rubbing) is an ancient printing technique originating in China, in all probability born following the invention of paper (around II century). This technique consists of contact printing of relief surfaces that are not necessarily flat, in order to reproduce their motifs and shape.

Within the Chinese tradition, this technique was and is still used to "print" and reproduce stone or bronze surfaces decorated with bas-reliefs or engraved characters. It should be noted that the imperial edicts were carved on steles of rock and therefore such a technique immediately assumed a fundamental role in the diffusion, and as a result Tapian has a central role in the history of Chinese culture that goes far beyond the only artistic value.



Dancer

Calligraphy of the beginning pages of Günter Grass - The Tin Drum
The work is made following the techniques of the chinese cursive form

Günter Grass - Die Blechtrommel

320 x 95 cm
Xuan paper, Chinese ink
2019

Tapian (拓片, frottage, rubbing) is an ancient printing technique originating in China, in all probability born following the invention of paper (around II century). This technique consists of contact printing of relief surfaces that are not necessarily flat, in order to reproduce their motifs and shape.

Within the Chinese tradition, this technique was and is still used to "print" and reproduce stone or bronze surfaces decorated with bas-reliefs or engraved characters. It should be noted that the imperial edicts were carved on steles of rock and therefore such a technique immediately assumed a fundamental role in the diffusion, and as a result Tapian has a central role in the history of Chinese culture that goes far beyond the only artistic value.

Early spring

Xuan paper, Chinese ink
135x36
2020

The work represents an imaginary mountain in all of its magnificence. The mountains are where the past and future merge together, and on them the cycle of life flows like water. Like many natural environments, the mountains are impossible to embrace in a single glance, much less reproduce it following the rules of a uni-focal perspective. In order to represent a mountain in all of its varieties and richness, it’s necessary to have a deep knowledge of it, by experiencing it in person. Empathizing with the environment is the only way to know it. By following the techniques of the Chinese pictorial tradition, which rejects the unique perspective, it is possible to represent large areas or vast subjects in a single work. The dimensions of which are limited only by the will of the artist and not by the limits of sight.

Everlasting mountains and flowing waters

38x450 Xuan paper, Chinese ink, 2019
Art is a form of language, it is a way of expressing ideas, concepts, knowledge. Similarly it is verbal and written language, art and linguistic expression are mirrors of culture, so the knowledge of them automatically leads to the knowledge of the culture of origin. Plastic and visual arts, compared to verbal language, have a higher rate of comprehensibility, more easily transcend time and space boundaries, but at the same time are often more subject to personal interpretation. On the one hand it can be a positive aspect, giving space to new interpretations that will enrich the work itself, but at the same time it can give rise to erroneous interpretations, far from the original meaning of the work. For these reasons in my works I wanted to accompany both forms of language, because through their interaction will be easier to overcome communication barriers. Barriers that are not only spatial, but also temporal. This latter aspect is of fundamental importance to me, because in many cases, especially in our modern culture, it tends to underestimate the wisdom and vision of the world of the previous epochs, considering them less developed and less efficient than ours. The same mechanism applies to other cultures, which we believe are less important simply because we do not know them. This situation arises precisely because of a lack of communication between historical periods or cultures in general. In addition, as we live in the age of globalization and international capitalism, in the so-called "global village" we believe we have unlimited cognitive possibilities with minimal effort. But this vision is decidedly wrong, because it leads to superficial and untrue knowledge, the spread of prejudice and cultural arrogance. Unfortunately, there is no easy solution in the intercultural communication problem, but it requires an intellectual and cognitive effort, a desire to study and deepen. In my work I wanted to communicate this concept. In the landscape painting, through a long scroll format, I wanted to represent the vastness of space, the mountains in their stability and complexity of approach as a metaphor for culture and water with its opposite qualities, as a metaphor for intercultural communication, as a means to travel between mountains, though very distant between them. In addition, a series of inscriptions and seals have been added, which are part of the ancient cultural heritage of Eurasia, to show precisely how visual art more easily surpasses cultural barriers, but written language brings with it a complexity and variety that is accessible only through study and knowledge of culture. 

Ten thousand miles of rivers and mountains

144x26, Nepalese paper and Chinese brush and ink, 2020                                
The work freely represents the gorges of Hangshan in southeastern China, a mountain area characterized by a deep gorge where a Buddhist complex was built. Like many natural environments, the mountains area is impossible to embrace in a single glance, much less reproduce it following the rules of the uni focal perspective. In order to represent a mountain environment (but in general any environment) in all of its varieties and richness, it’s necessary to have a deep knowledge of it, by experiencing it in person. Empathizing with the environment is the only way to know it. By following the techniques of the Chinese pictorial tradition, which rejects the unique perspective, it is possible to represent large areas or vast subjects in a single work. The dimensions of which are limited only by the will of the artist and not by the limits of sight.

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