Page 43 - Winter Issue

As someone who transitioned from creating traditional paintings to experimenting with large-scale
canvases and layering techniques, what excites you most about working on a larger scale?
It’s hard to analyze exactly why I favor large formats, but perhaps my early experience working on frescoes taught me
that, given the artistic task, it is often better to give preference to a large format.
Your involvement in theatrical and scenographic design brings a multidisciplinary aspect to your career.
How has working in theatre influenced your understanding of space, texture, and narrative in your art?
Theatre, by its very essence, involves a collective creative collaboration between various professions. For an artist, I
believe it’s a particularly interesting experience.
You’ve exhibited in cities worldwide, including Tokyo, Cannes, and Washington, DC. Can you share a
memorable moment from one of your exhibitions that deeply resonated with you as an artist?
I believe that my 2007 solo exhibition at the Kubota Gallery in Tokyo was, to some extent, a summary of the experiences
I gained during my time living and working in Japan.
Your artistic practice spans decades and diverse cultural environments. How has your vision of art
changed over time, and how do you keep your work relevant in today’s global art landscape?
The advancement of communication technology has enabled us to stay informed about the latest trends in global art.
On one hand, this has broadened our expressive possibilities, but on the other, it has made contemporary art more
eclectic, often focusing solely on the quest for originality in form. In my view, modernity and relevance in art are more
about the emotional exploration of a subject’s essence, rather than just the pursuit of an original form.
Large-scale exhibitions like those at Palazzo Sant’Elia in Palermo and the Library of Congress in
Washington, DC, bring your art to new audiences. What messages or emotions do you hope these
audiences take away from your work?
If a work enables the viewer to become an emotional co-participant in the painting, rather than just an evaluative
observer, I believe the artist’s creative goal has been successfully achieved.

Autumn - Oil on cardboard, 73x112cm, 2023

43