Gabriele Napoli ITA, b. 1999

Gabriele Napoli (b. 1999) lives and works in Milan. His works ironically get back the concept of painting as trompe l’oeil in a new imaginative way of looking at reality. In their physical vitality, the canvases of Napoli are a sign of contemporaneity but at the same time a tribute to traditional painting. His works are characterized by a rigorous process: the application of multiple layers of plaster on the canvas creates a material texture that simulates the perception of ripped frescoes. Napoli's artistic practice involves a slow dilution of the image, followed by a spontaneous compulsion to fill every part of the canvas, without any empty spaces. Thus, a fluid universe emerges, inhabited by a diverse range of figures. In the “Snotboys” series, Napoli uses a multiplication of alter egos that explore the self in search of identity. These alluring figures, with ambiguous features, are suspended in a transitional phase between adolescence and maturity. The playful dimension and their soft gestures blend with a strong sense of melancholy and emotional closeness. The environments surrounding them, straddling the real and the fantastical, unfold into natural settings: expanses and forests reminiscent of fairy tales, or interior spaces that evoke personal dreams.

Napoli's works have been exhibited in several shows, including: “12.04.2024” at Galleria VIN VIN in Vienna (2024); “Mirabilis” at Palazzo Meravigli in Milan (2023); “Osservatorio X” at Superstudio in Milan (2021); and “Real Presence” at Kulturni Center Magacin in Belgrade (2019).