We often talk about artists of the past, letβs talk about living artists instead.
One name that immediately comes to mind is Nicola Samorì, an Italian contemporary painter.
He works with oil in a way that feels almost sculptural: his paintings arenβt flat surfaces. He scratches, peels, and wounds the paint itself, turning the canvas into a physical object. I donβt fully understand how he achieves those effects, and that mystery is part of what makes his work so compelling.
His aesthetic is dark, cruel, and romantic at the same time, beauty and violence coexist in the same gesture. One of my favorite works of his is Atlante.
Another aspect I deeply admire is his distance from social media. He has no interest in online self-promotion, no Instagram, no Facebook. He seems completely devoted to living quietly, surrounded by nature, painting and exhibiting with almost monastic focus.
Thereβs something powerful about an artist whose presence exists primarily through the work itself.
Who are the living artists you admire right now?
I want names, introduce me to someone new.