How and why did you start your career in art?

My approach to drawing has always been instinctive; since I was a child, my favorite game was paper and pencils. As I grew up, I was fortunate that my parents noticed this passion, and a family activity we enjoyed was visiting museums and galleries in Italy and abroad.

How did you discover your medium and why did you choose it?

In my mind, I feel close in thought to the post-impressionist painters of the late 19th century. I really like the subjects chosen by the French, but I prefer the German colors and the more naïve drawing style of Eastern Europe from that era. I explore the mediums of post-impressionism and European expressionism. The transition from drawing to oil painting was simple. In the studio, after painting, I often feel the urge to model or sculpt subjects that I find more interesting than my canvases.

Can you talk about your creative process? How is your work born? How long you take? When do you know it’s over?

My pictorial research is mostly based on the relationship between decoration and decay, but I try to maintain a constant dialogue with people close to me to delve deeper into what I represent. Fundamentally, I don’t believe there is a real and rigorous methodological search. It often stems from scenes that I photograph—subjects that strike me due to their cultural layering and folkloric character. Through drawing, I combine people and places, freezing them in a carnivalesque scene that exists thanks to my experiences. I don’t set time limits for a canvas, and it mostly depends on the dimensions. I know it’s finished when the composition appears dense and harmonious to my eyes.

Who are your favorite artists? Which ones are you inspired by?

THE ARTIST

photo by Toni Brugnoli
Name: Giacomo Serpani
Residence: Italy
Occupation: Painter
Social: https://www.instagram.com/

FEATURED WORKS