Born in Brescia, Italy, in 1970, I have been dedicated to the art world since the 1990s. My artistic practice explores the intersection of painting, sculpture, photography, digital graphics, and AI-generated art. My creative process begins with the digital conception of each work, an approach that allows me to visualize the finished piece within its ideal context before translating it into physical form. Inspiration springs from a variety of personal sources: childhood memories, typographic anomalies, astronomical observations, sociological reflections, dreams, and visual distortions. A fundamental aspect of my practice is the creation of pigments derived directly from minerals, crystals, stones, and rocks, which I pulverize using a press of my own design. I select these materials not only for their intrinsic aesthetic qualities but also for their natural chromatic transformations. In my artistic trajectory, I frequently employ tools, technologies, and graphic strategies that extend beyond traditional artistic conventions. Only a selection of the chemical and graphic stratagems I utilize are mentioned on my website, as the principal secret to my results lies precisely in their unique combination.

We are Claudio and Erica. Our shared story began in the 1970s, when we were childhood playmates in the same neighborhood and schools. Though life led us along separate paths for a time, we reconnected as adults, rediscovering a profound and enduring bond. A deep empathy wove together our diverse experiences, uniting us in a harmonious artistic partnership. Here, we present the fruits of our creative journey, showcasing both individual and collaborative works shaped by our shared vision. This evolving space is regularly updated to reflect the organic progression of our artistic process. We invite you to explore these pages with an awareness of the site’s intentionally unconventional structure. This deliberate choice embodies our commitment to an authentic artistic expression. The irregular geometries, non traditional layout, distinctive graphics, and absence of a rigid hierarchy place the artwork itself at the forefront, beyond conventional web design constraints. Each element contributes to a fluid, cohesive visual experience. This site is intended for those who appreciate a contemplative approach, for those willing to engage deeply with our work, to read, observe, and reflect.

Born in Turin, Italy, in 1971, my creative journey is shaped by a multifaceted imagination, driven by curiosity and introspection. Largely self-taught across disciplines, I have long explored alternative realms, dissolving the boundaries between reality and fantasy. My artistic process is an inquiry into the intricate interplay of sensations, emotions, and objects. In painting, I integrate meticulously handcrafted paper rolls in relief, constructing dynamic, geometric compositions enriched by subtle chromatic gradations. At the same time, my engagement with photography and filmed performance allows me to examine the fluid nature of identity. Each performance becomes a dialogue between audacity and irony, always anchored in a purely artistic vision. Through distinctive costumes, wigs, and meticulously designed sets and accessories, I craft images that embrace self-irony and artistic transformation. Every portrait captures not only a momentary self but also an evolving aspiration, an exploration of identity’s many internal and external dimensions. For me, creation is never a conclusion but a continual passage toward new and uncharted artistic landscapes.

Le foglie che creo rappresentano elementi decorativi di sorprendente versatilità. Ogni singola foglia è concepita come una piccola opera d'arte autonoma, ma è anche adatta a integrarsi con sculture e oggetti di design, valorizzandone l'estetica complessiva. Il processo di realizzazione, come per la maggior parte delle mie opere, è studiato appositamente per permettere alle foglie di evolvere nel tempo, attraverso processi naturali di varia natura, reazioni alle fonti luminose, ossidazione controllata, grazie anche all'applicazione di pigmenti speciali che modificano la loro colorazione in modo autonomo e spesso imprevedibile. In alcuni casi, arricchisco le superfici con venature e dettagli, al fine di conferire un maggiore realismo e anche della profondità. Altre volte, intervengo piegando di fatto e strategicamente alcune sezioni, per creare effetti di tridimensionalità e rilievo, sia effettivi che percepiti. Quando la complessità della forma lo richiede, assemblo più sezioni tramite saldatura, ottenendo strutture fogliari elaborate. La sperimentazione continua con forme, dimensioni e tecniche di colorazione differenti è un aspetto fondamentale del mio lavoro e mi permette di raggiungere una varietà di risultati sempre nuovi e originali. L'aspetto più interessante di queste foglie risiede, secondo me, proprio nella loro capacità di trasformarsi continuamente, in un'evoluzione affidata interamente alla spontaneità dei processi naturali. 

Il mio gatto si inserisce nei progetti: una pelosa parentesi strategica tra una mia espressione e l’altra. Un sabotatore concettuale: quando mi immagino in bianco e nero la fotocamera lo riprende nei suoi colori. Quando cerco il volto espressivo, per dispetto si stira e sbadiglia. Il titolo del suo manifesto artistico è Non Me Ne Frega Niente Ma Lo Faccio. A volte sembra infatti che non si inserisca per caso. Che lo faccia apposta. Che abbia compreso il mio progetto performativo e deciso che secondo lui manca un qualcosa: e così interviene. Un micio minimalista. Non crea. Non distrugge. Interferisce con la sua elaborata indifferenza.

I'm really into taking selfies and just messing around with them. It's wild how they pick up on stuff you don't even see at the time, like blurry shapes, random light flares, all kinds of things. Feels like the camera's got its own thing going on, throwing in these cool little surprises. I can totally picture it getting so smart, if someone walks into the shot by accident, it nails that moment, makes it this awesome photo. It's pretty mind-blowing to think cameras might get to a point where they're kinda artistic partners, making their own unique and creative images. 

Quando ho iniziato a darmi alla mia arte, ho commesso molti errori. Test falliti, esperimenti mal riusciti e lavoro mai terminati. E non tutti gli errori sono stati utili; alcuni si sono rivelati una completa perdita di tempo o hanno comportato spese e hanno richiesto tempi eccessivi. Oltre ai pezzi artistici, discutibili o inutili ai miei fini, ho acquistato pennelli sbagliati, utilizzato tele e altri supporti di scarsa qualità e mi sono incasinato a mescolare correttamente i colori, ottenendo tonalità sgradevoli. Tecnicamente conoscevo le regole di base, ma nell'applicarle combinavo disastri. Iniziavo progetti, sprecando tempo prezioso e abbandonandoli incompiuti.

L'installazione rimane, come me, in attesa. Rammenta una struttura tribale. Oppure una bilancia: la forza di gravità sembra intenta a fornire equilibrio al peso leggero di pensieri sospesi e colorati. Una traversa orizzontale che sembra voler indicare sentieri di carta arrotolati su se stessi, pronti a percorrere le possibilità creative che verranno loro offerte. La struttura è paziente custode che permette alla colla di asciugarsi lentamente e di plasmare la carta in un'unica forma, è un telaio su cui la colla, silenziosamente, sigilla il destino di ogni cerchio. 

In my home, illuminated by the natural light streaming through the windows, I have rediscovered the joy of expressing my creativity through the art of conceptual selfies. After years spent repressing my innate artistic inclination to conform to a life that, due to its dynamics, I felt did not truly belong to me, I have finally found myself again in the intimacy of my domestic space, transforming every corner into a small stage. I eagerly await sunny days, when the light that filters through the windows inspires me more and I feel more motivated. Without any academic training or professional guidance, I began exploring the potential of my body and mind, creating images that tell my stories. Each selfie is an inner journey exported beyond my world, through the lens of a smartphone camera always ready to support me. My art is not just a way to express myself. Each photo is an affirmation of my newfound freedom, a personal way to tell the world that I have finally chosen to live on my own terms, chasing my true essence.

The blue mountains originate from a memory of a dream I had. They were not blue in the dream itself, but they appear so in my recollection. Mountains, as they appeared in that dream, seemed to represent something different. They felt insidious. One of my older short stories, "The Water Mattress", found in my book LIBRO DI BUIO, was inspired by those images and the impressions I received from that dream. There was a strange, golden mist surrounding them. For the painting, I created a visually powerful contrast, which immediately captures attention. Layers of glaze, thin applications of color in multiple passes, create a visual vibration in the image. This is not, for me, a simple representation of a landscape, but a walk through my thoughts. It is a work that has never provided exact answers to my questions. A dream that left me, upon waking, with a sense of unreadable anguish. 

These three colorful necklaces, which I created in various sizes, were made using DAS clay and then painted with acrylic colors. They are inspired by a distant memory from my childhood. Under the arcades, in front of my house, there was a grocery store, and at the entrance, on the left, a dispenser of round, colorful chewing gum. When you chewed them, in addition to having a colored tongue, they were also hard as marble. I remember very well the moment when I inserted the coin and turned the crank, a gesture that amused me enormously 

My story is a colorful mosaic, but also transversal, extending even to black and white. I've learned to find myself even in the shades and nuances of gray, because I love colors, but I know that true freedom doesn't need rainbows. Since I was a child, I felt a rebellious energy that, even when dormant, has always been by my side. I awakened it and, together, we decided to follow my path, our path. Black and white invited me to challenge myself, between a constant discovery of my initiatives and one challenge after another, which seem inexhaustible. Every day I find new possibilities, new ways to communicate, and instead of chasing my dreams, I create them myself, and let them chase me. 

Legs, here you are. To my rescue, I have a pink razor, its bubble gum color reminding me of the eighties. My secret disposable weapon, an aesthetic ally. In selfies, and not only in those, the expression "casually conceptual" has all the air of an oxymoron. Here is the body; among the main introspective protagonists. An emblem sometimes abstract in the most realism. In the foreground or in the background or integrated into the surrounding environment. Or it acts as a support itself, if you decide to capture an activity on it. In spontaneous domestic privacy, it is not necessary to pay attention to posture, facial expression, hand gestures, or limb position. Every detail, however casual for convenience, may not have to convey any message. In photographing myself in domestic intimacy, with the household objects that surround me, the body is an unconscious introspective protagonist. 

In this section, we present our photographs, acknowledging the long and rich history of the photographic field. This decade marks the bicentenary of the first photograph, taken in 1826 by Joseph Nicéphore Niépce. His "View from the Window at Le Gras" was a groundbreaking achievement, albeit a far cry from the photographs we know today. The evolution of photography continued with Louis Daguerre's daguerreotype in 1839, offering sharper images. In 1847, Abel Niépce de Saint-Victor introduced negatives on glass, enabling higher quality prints. Frederick Scott Archer further refined the process in 1851 with his wet collodion technique and the ambrotype. Since then, photography has seen relentless progress, from color film to instant photography and digital technology. Today, it's a ubiquitous tool for capturing reality and communicating effectively.

My artistic research has never been confined to a single form of expression. From the outset, my curiosity has driven me to explore the intrinsic potential of every material, investigating its structure, its reactions to light, and beyond. I have worked with minerals, natural powders, and oxidized metals, seeking to understand how each element could transform into a visual vehicle. And my experimentation hasn't been limited to canvases. I have tested dozens of different types of wood and metal. In parallel, I have deepened my understanding of the interaction between light and matter. I have studied the refractions and shadows produced by reflective, opaque, or translucent surfaces. I have experimented with various types of lighting: natural light, which evolves over the course of hours, and artificial light, with interplay of intensity, colors, and filters capable of modifying the perception of the artworks. Equally important has been the work on the chemical properties of materials. Oxidation reactions and controlled deterioration have allowed me to achieve chromatic effects in continuous transformation. I have observed how certain minerals, combined at different temperatures, produce astonishing nuances, and how organic materials respond to the passage of time, integrating the very concept of duration and mutation into artistic creation.

Handmade objects, interwoven with the essence of a photographic performance, transcend the function of mere accessories to become narrative instruments: fragments of stories crafted with patience, intuition, and mindful artistry. Every knot, every stitch, every fold speaks of ideas taking shape through an imperfect human touch unrepeatable precisely because of its imperfection. These objects do not merely illustrate an idea visually and materially; they explain it, amplify it, redefine it, and transform it. They become silent protagonists of the performance, capable of shaping a conceptual scene that captivates the gaze and questions the viewer. In the dialogue between object and photography, every detail takes on meaning. Light glides across surfaces, revealing the imperfections that bring the object to life; the shadows they cast enhance its three-dimensionality, offering a visual testament to what escapes mechanical reproduction. Each imperfection becomes a distinctive feature, a silent language that narrates the time it took to emerge and the value of the gesture that brought it into being. These objects demand an attentive gaze, a slow gaze—one that calls for respect. They are catalysts of imagination, thresholds to fleeting worlds, suspended in the instant when, through art, I succeed in giving them life and meaning.

I embark on a personal journey through the intimacy of outward appearance, highlighting the natural state of aesthetic vulnerability. I capture moments when my facial features still bear traces of sleep, when my hair is tousled or my eyes are half-closed as I gradually adjust to the morning light. Even the objects around me, in this context, take on symbolic significance: a freshly brewed cup of tea or coffee, rumpled sheets, or the disarray of a room not yet touched by the rhythm of the day. Each object becomes part of a silent language, contextualizing an experience that belongs as much to my body as to my mind, in an intimate dialogue with the everyday. The goal is not to create traditional selfies meant to be shown and validated by an external gaze, but rather a series of self-portraits that narrate the story of my physical self during a moment of transition between private naturalness and the self prepared for the public eye. These self-portraits reveal a deeper, contemplative dimension, capturing my essence without filters—an essence that does not seek to impress, but simply to exist. After all, photography is also a way to engage in dialogue with oneself, to observe one’s face as a mirror that reflects not only outward appearance but also mood, fatigue, or the weight of awakening. Perhaps, in these fleeting moments of early morning, I am able to capture a fragment of physical truth that tends to elude me throughout the rest of the day.

There was countryside in the neighborhood where I grew up. I would watch it as it slowly inhaled, holding for a moment an ancient rhythm, only to exhale after I had already walked away. The plowed fields spoke an earthy dialect, one that only the plants could truly understand. The countryside is a place where nature and man challenge each other without ever laying down their arms. Today, painting it sometimes means disturbing the quiet of men who place their trust solely in their grapes, in their grain. In the countryside, I meet people whose speech is, at times, woven with profanity, as if it were a natural cadence of their lives. And the water ditches they draw from—the oxygen of agriculture—are the punctuation of ancient and necessary habits. Perhaps the quantum is nothing more than a mere punctuation of the ancestral. 

On various occasions of domestic selfies, I present myself both as a mirror and as a reflection of my personality in an artistic manner. I navigate seamlessly between a natural, makeup-free visage and one stylized through cosmetic interventions. Wigs, often unconventional and vibrant, become part of my repertoire, transforming each photo into an opportunity to reinvent myself. They are not merely accessories but tools of metamorphosis, bridging my inner self with a playful exploration of identity. Every wig I choose feels like a deliberate decision about who I want to be in that precise moment. The synthetic locks, with their shape, color, and texture, become a language—a visual grammar that reveals fragments of myself hidden within. In front of the lens, I am both the photographer and the subject, with wigs serving as my blank canvas, ready to be painted with creativity and imagination. These performances, whether photographic or filmed, become a subtle interplay between identity and imagination. Each image or filmed frame captures a moment of evolving artistic expression, a fragment of sincerity disguised in artifice. Sometimes, the wig lends me courage I didn’t know I had; other times, it reveals vulnerability I hadn’t anticipated. These emotions emerge unexpectedly, enriching the process and leaving a lasting impression. I often wonder what remains of these performances within me. It is not just a visual memory but something deeper: the awareness of being multifaceted, of carrying within me an infinity of faces and stories. Wigs remind me that I am never just one person. Every day, I can choose who to be, how to see myself, and how to present myself to the world. Despite society’s tendency to box people into static labels, these performances allow me to escape that rigidity. Ultimately, what I love most about these moments is the sensation of absolute freedom. Each performance is an evolving story that changes with every wig, expression, and interpretation. This process not only expands my understanding of myself but also becomes a celebration of the fluidity and boundless possibilities of identity.

That morning I woke up with something else on my mind. But the feeling of surprise and curiosity definitely outweighed my commitments, which I decided to put off. For the first time, after almost a year of testing, one of my paintings, created with autonomously variable colored minerals, changed during the night, without any chemical or electrical tricks. The stain, a dark earthy orange, transformed into a lighter and brighter orange hue. It wasn't just a different shade, but a true chromatic metamorphosis that gave the painting a new look. The new color was revealed, overshadowing the previous one in a random harmony. There were already objects capable of changing color thanks to chemical reactions, but not with my method. A neighbor, a chemist by profession, had been an art buddy for months, showing me how I could hypothetically achieve such results. Then I took pictures and made notes. I already imagined new works and new experiments. 

In the art world, we are accustomed to creating through meanings and intentions, observable or perceptible behind every form, every color. Abstract art, in particular, has become a fertile ground for interpretation. This series of paintings, however, was created by ignoring the canvas, the support, and even avoiding observation while selecting the colors randomly distributed on a palette or while painting. Works that originated not only from pure chance, but with which I did not want to express anything specific. I did not cater to a predefined concept or idea. My goal was to free color from the typical prison of meaning and let it paint without constraints, without restrictions, and without imposing, with brushes and spatulas, a precise direction of application. If one wants to find a meaning, it can be identified in the unpredictability of the result, which, however, I did not want to adopt as an end. Works to which I did not even attribute titles and of which I have no explanations to provide. There is, fundamentally, no message to decipher, no emotion to interpret, no meaning to reveal. It remains, in any case. Observers are, therefore, free to find their own personal interpretation, without the fear of being wrong, without the pressure of having to understand. I allowed myself only one exception in this chaotic elaboration: orange. 

I wear accessories that, when assembled, can give me a variety of looks, transforming my outward appearance, while I enjoy witnessing my metamorphoses. My playful, stylistic audacity remained dormant inside me for many years, only to emerge at a certain point in my life with intensity. I dedicate myself to unpredictable selfies, adorned with surprising colors and objects, narrating my innate nature as an unpredictable performer. The ability to transform myself freely allows me to express myself in a continuous process of discovering and redefining myself, and to play between one performance and another to create mixes of art and plasticity. I like to convey any emotion through my body and its expressions, without, however, wanting to generate misunderstandings that may be related to non artistic aspects. I dedicate the photographic activities to the analysis of my facial expressions, or to hypothetical psychological nuances, allowing me to perceive my emotional elements in the images. My approach to selfies goes far beyond documenting my outward appearance, offering me numerous possibilities to become familiar with the intimately introspective. I do not obsessively pursue complete control over techniques, widespread rules, postures, lights, and shadows, although I am always careful to generate material suitable for perfecting my artistic projects. 

My artistic performances emerge from projects developed over days or weeks, brought to life through selfies and homemade videos. They offer a perspective on how personal creativity can thrive within a domestic setting, with looks and objects selected and re-evaluated day by day. I transform every corner of my home into a small stage, a playful microcosm infused with a scenographic identity largely shaped by my own madness. This performative approach grants me the opportunity to express myself fully, with autonomy and freedom. Free from the immediate pressure of a live show, I find I can give my best in the silent dialogue between myself and my thoughts. I do not chase visual sophistication, though at times it seems to manifest as if by its own conscious will. Instead, whenever the impulse arises, I pursue what complexity I have kept hidden in the folds of my past until today.  

My photographic shots often depict what no longer exists. Images that are archives of architectural memories, guardians of now-dissolved geometries. Each frame is a temporal portal to spaces that the succession of events has irreparably transformed or definitively erased. The old bridge over the main exit tracks from Brescia station was used by pedestrians. A structure of iron and concrete pillars, it supported thousands and thousands of footsteps for decades. Yet here, in this image, it continues to exist. Around it, the disused industrial buildings bid it farewell when it was eliminated to make way for its successor, an anonymous bridge in style and devoid of the charm of a past. The old bridge, erased from urban memory, in this image stubbornly continues to exhibit its historical dignity, and the old station, frequented by generations of travelers, still sadly remembers that last day of demolition. The slaps received by our memories can rarely be returned. Only photographs, today, visual relics, can constitute, far more than a thought and imagined memory, with precision, the final dwelling of places and structures betrayed to attend the future. The image of places consigned to non-existence are often graphic tombstones in memory of a lost that frustrates. 

The art series Invisible Absences originates from a fascinating and unusual concept: utilizing fragments of celestial bodies that have fallen to Earth, pulverizing them to create pigments. These mineral powders originate from meteorites, asteroids, or other space objects that have landed on our planet over millennia. These fragments, carefully recovered and cataloged, harmless to living beings, are transformed into chromatic solutions. I experience the silence in space as an absent entity whose pervasive presence I can intuit; it has often fueled my imagination. Silence, or what we humans perceive as such, could only be acknowledged with the advent of the human mind.

FRONTAL

In my portraiture, I seek a delicate balance between spontaneity and artistic refinement. I eschew overly controlled lighting and technical precision, believing such rigidity can stifle an image's organic essence. Instead, I embrace spontaneity, welcoming the natural imperfections of composition and focus. These perceived flaws, rather than detracting, enrich the aesthetic, contributing to a raw authenticity that aligns with my pursuit of natural beauty and unfiltered expression. While I aim to present my subjects at their best, I avoid rigid rules that might preclude the unexpected. I am captivated by the interplay of light and form, focusing on capturing the essence of a moment rather than mere mechanical perfection. Through my images, I strive to reveal the layered complexities of the individual, without compromise. For me, photography is a process of continual transformation, allowing me to explore the multifaceted dimensions of self-expression.

The origin of my main series, Artistic Fallacies, dates back to 2008 with an experiment titled Shades of Reticence (Silent Lies), hastily executed. The work emerged from the use of two wooden elements, shaped through an abundant application of tempera paint, not so much to add color as to quickly mold the figures. In the field of argumentation, fallacies are deviations from rational reasoning, often taking the form of traps born of naivety or deliberate manipulative strategies. However, in my works, graphic or conceptual "errors" are never accidental but carefully orchestrated, supported by an internal logic that only reveals itself through a meticulous analysis of their underlying implications. Every apparent error results from a deliberate choice aimed at creating a calculated sense of disorientation. To evoke the illusion of a flawed work, I sometimes employ unexpected visual elements, such as color combinations perceived as discordant or unsettling. In 2008, I conceived the character Reticence by relocating the nose from the face to the nape of the neck. In my representations, Pinocchio often appears visibly uncomfortable, while Reticence displays an effortless composure, subtly suggesting that omission, unlike explicit deception, is more readily accepted within social conventions. The unusual placement of the nose, hidden from a frontal view, allows Reticence to conceal deception, much like the calculated silence or measured speech of a reticent individual obscures their true intentions. By presenting himself frontally, Reticence prevents the nose symbol of deceit from being visible, fulfilling his reticent function. Unlike lies, which provoke immediate and often negative reactions, reticence tends to escape critical scrutiny even when obvious just as hidden elements in a work of art reveal their meaning only through careful observation. The deliberate management of absence and the unsaid thus becomes a refined strategy for controlling truth, both in artistic expression and in social discourse. If I were to create a sculpture depicting the hypothetical offspring of Pinocchio and Reticence, I might represent them with an absent mouth acknowledging that reticence does not necessarily imply silence. Alternatively, I might sculpt a figure with two noses, highlighting the intrinsic ambiguity of truth and its inevitable manipulation.

The decision to place Reticent the puppet’s nose on the nape rather than on the face suggests a departure from the traditional or naïve verbal lie, representing instead a sophisticated falsehood—one that remains unspoken, evades direct judgment, and preserves the outward façade. The elongated nose, positioned outside the ordinary facial area, introduces a symbolic play that raises questions about how many lies remain socially unexplored. A nose at the nape further becomes a metaphor for a truth that often resides in a dimension inaccessible to the transparency of dialogue. Created with DAS modeling clay and painted with acrylics, the structure takes the shape of a pyramid, built with painted wooden sticks joined with hot glue. I have added geometric elements to the exterior.

My imagination delves into the depths of my inner worlds, where every boundary between reality and fantasy dissolves, as though the two dimensions fuse into a single, ever-changing sensory experience. It is within these spaces that I love to reinvent myself, drawing both from the concrete and ordinary elements of everyday life and from my most surreal visions. My transformations do not stem from a purely aesthetic pursuit; rather, they are the expression of a need, a drive for metamorphosis that allows me to unveil the many facets of my identity. Wigs in bold colors, daring makeup, and eccentric accessories allow me to wear temporary identities. Wigs, in particular, are my essential allies in the performative expression I undertake each time. I select and wear them as though they were keys to unlock new versions of myself, with traditional or daring colors capable of instantly transforming my appearance. From these experiences are born the still images that I publish on my website: fleeting moments, photographs that crystallize the instant, fixing the fluidity of each transformation into a visual icon. It is here that the private becomes public, through these personal shows, in a constant dance between the domestic and the virtual.

"IRIS" (2022) 50 X 150

For a long time, I dabbled in various forms of artistic expression and techniques as a hobby. However, it is through my canvases that my artistic exploration has evolved, transforming from a recreational pursuit into a complex personal, conceptual, and artistic endeavor. I transform colored paper, shaping forms and textures, creating works that evoke emotions in me and, I hope, in those who view them.